Three Judges Face Corruption Charges Over Murder Acquittal
- VIVA.co.id/Zendy Pradana
Jakarta, VIVA – The arrest of three Surabaya District Court judges for allegedly accepting bribes to clear Ronald Tannur of a murder charge has highlighted the urgent need to improve the integrity of human resources in the justice system.
Tannur, a former legislator's son, was accused of running over his girlfriend following an argument earlier this month.
On Wednesday evening, the Attorney General's Office officially named judges ED (Erintuah Damanik), HH (Heru Hanindyo), and M (Mangapul), as well as Tannur's lawyer LR as suspects in a bribery case.
Ilustrasi kursi majelis hakim
- ANTARA FOTO/Akbar Nugroho Gumay
An investigation had uncovered large sums of money, in rupiah and foreign currencies, at the suspects' homes, as quoted from Antara site.
Investigators from the Attorney General's Office's special crimes division searched six locations, seizing billions of rupiah in cash and electronic evidence. They also confiscated documents related to money exchanges, records of payments, and LR's cellphone.
Abdul Qohar, director of investigations for special crimes at the Attorney General's Office, said he strongly suspects that the money found at the judges' properties originated from Tannur's lawyer LR.
"This is evident from the foreign currency transactions, records, and electronic evidence," he added.
"We have gathered sufficient evidence regarding the source of the money, its recipients, and its flow... we will reveal the details later,"
To support the investigation, the three judges have been temporarily suspended from their positions and placed under detention at the Surabaya Detention Center. LR's lawyer is being held at the Salemba Detention Center, Jakarta.
The Supreme Court of the Republic of Indonesia, through its spokesperson Yanto, expressed concern over the incident, stating that the three judges had tarnished the reputation of Indonesian judges, who recently received a salary and allowance increase following a mass strike.
Indonesian judges had collectively taken leave to demand a decent salary and allowance increase. On October 18, 2024, two days before stepping down from his post, president Joko Widodo signed Government Regulation No. 44/2024 to nearly double the salaries of judges.
