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KPK catches judge taking Rp 300m bribe
Antigraft officers caught a Jakarta State Administrative High Court judge taking Rp 300 million (US$33,000) in bribes from a lawyer Tuesday
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ntigraft officers caught a Jakarta State Administrative High Court judge taking Rp 300 million (US$33,000) in bribes from a lawyer Tuesday.
The judge, identified as Ibrahim, was seen pocketing the money from lawyer Abner Sirait at a crowded Cempaka Putih Barat area of Central Jakarta.
A team from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested them.
KPK spokesman Johan Budi said the commission “immediately named the two as suspects”.
KPK deputy leader Bibit Samad Rianto said the arrest “confirmed the existence of corrupt practice in the judicial institution and at the police.”
A team of KPK officers had tailed the two suspects from early Tuesday morning.
At around 9 a.m., Ibrahim and Abner were seen leaving the Administrative Court building in Cikini, Central Jakarta, in two cars with chauffeurs.
The officers said the two met on Jl. Mardani Raya where Abner handed over a black plastic bag to Ibrahim.
“The KPK team arrested them and confiscated the bag,” KPK spokesman Johan said.
“Inside, they found two large brown envelopes containing thousands of Rp 50,000 and Rp 100,000 banknotes.”
The KPK also seized two cellular phones and the suspects’ cars — Ibrahim’s black Toyota Kijang Innova and Abner’s Honda Jazz.
Johan said the team acted on a citizen’s tip-off.
He said Abner bribed Ibrahim “so that he could win the case he was handling at the court”.
Bibit said the case involved ownership of a land plot. Sources said the land was located in East Jakarta.
Ibrahim and Abner were taken to the KPK office for investigation.
Two hours later, Ibrahim was admitted to Mitra International Hospital in Jatinegara, East Jakarta, because he had to undergo regular dialysis treatment.
Johan said Ibrahim would spend the night at the hospital.
“His doctor told us that he suffered from health complications,” he said, adding that the KPK had to postpone its questioning of Ibrahim.
“But we are questioning Abner.”
Supreme Court spokesman Nurhadi, meanwhile, said that the court had formed a team to coordinate with the KPK.
“The team consists of the head of the Supreme Court’s supervisory body and the Jakarta Administrative Court chief Pak Sudarto Radyosuwarno,” he said.
Nurhadi said Ibrahim would be suspended.
“There is no pardon for judges involved in corruption,” he said. “We will take firm action if he is proven guilty.”
Bibit said that the case implicating a judge highlighted that law enforcement institutions were prone to corruption.
“There is a disparity between the money that circulates [in the institutions] and what law enforcers earn,” he added.
Places where corruption were rampant, he said, were where state income flows.
“This includes the tax office and other places where non-tax state revenue flows. There should be more surveillance at these places.”
Another area was where the state money flows out, Bibit continued.
“This is where budget planning takes place, where [corrupt officials] plan projects for their benefit,”
he said.
