REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has expressed hope that the pretrial court's ruling on former minister Suryadharma Ali would be used as a reference by other pretrial court judges.

The South Jakarta district court on Wednesday rejected former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali's pretrial suit challenging the decision of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which named him in an alleged graft case.

"The court is of the viewpoint that irrespective of whether or not the naming of a suspect is considered legitimate, since it does not come under the pretrial domain, so the application is entirely rejected," Tatik Hadiyanti, the sole judge who handled the case, ruled.

"We hope that the ruling could be used as a reference for other pretrial court judges to arrive at a decision," KPK's Acting Deputy Chief Commissioner Johan Budi noted.

"The decision today will open our eyes, and hopefully, it will be used as a reference by other judges to rule that the naming of a suspect does not come under the domain of a pretrial court. However, from the beginning, the KPK has stated that it is an independent authority of the judge, and we respect the judge over it," Johan said, adding that from the onset, the KPK has emphasized that it would always respect legal processes, including a pretrial suit.

"We will respect any suspect who wants to file a pretrial suit. Indeed, from the beginning, we are of the view that naming a suspect is not the domain of a pretrial court. However, the KPK cannot influence the decision as it is the judge's authority. We are always ready to meet any pretrial court challenge, although it would use up energy and minds," he stated.

Johan stated that the pretrial process would not hinder the investigation process at the KPK.

"Go ahead, if they want to file a pretrial suit, but we will also continue our investigation process without having to wait for the court's ruling," he added.

Currently, the KPK is dealing with five pretrial suits over corruption cases from former processing director of state-owned oil company Pertamina, Suroso Atmomartoyo; former House Commission VII chairman Sutan Bathoegana; former minister of energy and mineral resources Jero Wacik; former city mayor of Makassar Arif Sirajuddin; and Siti Tarwiyah, a witness in the alleged corruption case of former Bangkalan district head Fuad Amin.

The KPK lost the pretrial court suit filed by Head of the Police Education Institute Commissioner General Budi Gunawan in connection with his naming as a corruption suspect by the anti-graft body.

On February 16, 2015, sole judge Sarpin Rizaldi ruled that the KPK's decision to name former national police chief candidate as a suspect was illegitimate, and so, it was not legally binding.

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