CAUGHT IN THE ACT -- MEMBER OF JUDICIAL ETHICS

C O N F I D E N T I A L JAKARTA 002753 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, INR/EAP, INL FOR BOULDIN DEPT FOR EEB/IFD/OMA DOJ/OPDAT FOR LEHMANN/ALEXANDRE/BERMAN SINGAPORE FOR BAKER TREASURY FOR IA-BAUKOL DEPT PASS FEDERAL RESERVE SAN FRANCISCO FOR FINEMAN DEPT PASS EXIM BANK DEPT PASS USTR FOR DKATZ, RBAE E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/28/2017 TAGS: PGOV KJUS KCOR KMCA ID SUBJECT: CAUGHT IN THE ACT -- MEMBER OF JUDICIAL ETHICS WATCHDOG ARRESTED IN BRIBERY SCHEME REF: JAKARTA 514 Classified By: POL/C Joseph Legend Novak, reasons 1.4(b)(d). ¶1. (C) SUMMARY: Agents of a key anti-corruption body this week arrested a member of the Judicial Commission on ethics who had apparently just accepted a sizable bribe. The dramatic arrest--which netted substantial media coverage--is an acute embarassment to the Commission, which already has come under criticism for ineffectiveness. The news is positive for the GOI's ongoing anti-corruption efforts, which have led to the arrests of dozens of public officials. END SUMMARY. ¶2. (U) CAUGHT RED-HANDED: A dramatic arrest in a bribery case has earned front-page coverage. The suspect, Irawady Joenoes who is a member of the Judicial Commission, was in possession of USD 30,000 and RP 600 million (USD 65,000) in cash when he was arrested by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) agents on September 26. Also arrested at the scene was Freddy Santoso, who had recently sold a parcel of land to the Commission for RP 46 billion (USD 5 million). Both men are being charged with violating anti-corruption legislation. Despite being caught red-handed, Joenoes claimed that he had been set up, telling the press that he was assigned to investigate possible corruption in the land deal by Judicial Commission Chief Busyro Muqoddas. Muqoddas flat-out denied this story, instead announcing that Joenoes would be suspended and that the Commission would cooperate with the investigation. Santosa has reportedly admitted to making the payment to Joenoes. ¶3. (C) A BODY BLOW: The bribery incident is an acute embarassment to the Judicial Commission, which already had its problems. It was created by Parliament in 2003 to improve judicial integrity and accountability and serve as a catalyst for judicial reform. The body was originally given authority to monitor judicial behavior, but that power was stripped by a Constitutional Court decision in August 2006 (reftel). Despite initial rumblings, Parliament has yet to take any action to restore the Commission's authority. The body has struggled since then to remain relevant and it is widely considered to be ineffective. ¶4. (C) GOOD NEWS FOR ANTI-CORRUPTION DRIVE: The incident is the latest in a series of dramatic arrests made by the KPK and a testament to the increasing effectiveness of the GOI's premier anti-corruption body. For the Commission, however, it is a disaster to the image of a group supposedly dedicated to cleaning up the judiciary. Several members of Parliament, including the Speaker, have already called for a review of all Commission members. Over all, the news is positive for the GOI's ongoing anti-corruption efforts, which have led to the arrests of dozens of public officials. HEFFERN