NGO reports Semarang anti-graft judges to Supreme Court

The Central Java Committee for Corruption, Collusion and Nepotism Investigation and Eradication has reported Semarang Corruption Court judges Lilik Nurani and Lazuardi Tobing to the Supreme Court and the Judicial Commission.

The committee says the judges acquitted Agus Soekmaniharto, a graft suspect in the procurement of land in Jatirunggo subdistrict, Semarang regency, where part of the Semarang-Surakarta toll road will pass through.

“We just sent a complaint letter to the Supreme Court and the Judicial Commission,” committee member Eko Haryanto told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.

“We hope the supervisory justice at the Supreme Court and Judicial Commission members want to investigate the Semarang Corruption Court’s controversial decision.”

He said three suspects were involved in the land procurement case, namely Agus and Hamid, both of whom acted as brokers, and Suyoto, the coordinator of the Semarang regental administration’s land procurement committee.

The three were tried separately and their trials were presided over by different judges, he said.

According to Eko, presiding judge Lilik acquitted Agus on Monday but another judge sentenced the other broker, Hamid, to five years in prison on Tuesday, while Suyoto was also sentenced to five years in prison.

The three were involved in the Rp 13 billion (US$1.42 million) procurement of 29,900 hectares of land in 2008 for the Semarang-Surakarta toll road, he said.

He said 99 Jatirunggo villagers were supposed to be paid Rp 13 billion for the plots of land they sold to the brokers, but instead only received Rp 1 billion that was transferred to bank accounts that had been set up for them.

The remaining Rp 12 billion was given out to the three suspects, as well as bank employees who allegedly became their accomplices, he alleged. (mtq)