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.
In response to the bribery case, Dr. Lies Sulistiani, S.H., M.Hum., an academic at Padjadjaran University, emphasized the need for high integrity among human resources in the judicial system.
"Corrupt behavior is not solely caused by income levels but primarily stems from mentality, morals, and integrity," Sulistiani explained.
She noted that the Indonesian judicial system has a system of supervision for judges, both internal supervision through the Supreme Court's supervisory body and external supervision by the Judicial Commission.
She said that while this supervision has been effective, the arrest of the judges underscores the necessity for the judicial system to enhance the integrity of its human resources.
As per the details of the case, Tannur was accused of running over his girlfriend Dini Sera Afrianti with his car following a night out in Surabaya on October 4, 2023.
Afrianti, a 29-year-old widow from Sukabumi, West Java, had a 12-year-old child.
After a heated argument, Tannur allegedly struck Afrianti with his car in the parking lot of Lenmarc Mall in Surabaya.
He then took Afrianti to an apartment before heading to the hospital with her. She died en route. He was arrested shortly afterward.
Tannur is the son of Edward Tannur, a former House of Representatives member from the National Awakening Party (PKB).
Prosecutors charged him with murder and aggravated assault and sought a 12-year prison sentence.
However, on July 24, the Surabaya District Court judges acquitted him of all charges and ordered his immediate release, sparking widespread criticism from the Attorney General's Office (AGO) and the public.
After the acquittal, AGO spokesperson Harli Siregar condemned the verdict as flawed and unsupported, stating that it relied solely on the judges' subjective opinions.
He criticized the judges for disregarding key evidence, including CCTV footage showing Tannur's car striking the victim and forensic reports on the cause of her death.
Following an appeal by prosecutors, the Supreme Court on Tuesday (October 22) overturned the acquittal and sentenced Tannur to five years in prison for murder.
Deputy chairperson of Commission III of the House of Representatives, Ahmad Sahroni, called for the public disclosure of the motive behind the bribery of the Surabaya District Court judges.
He argued that the three judges had issued an unreasonable verdict, suggesting they had accepted billions of rupiah in bribes to influence the case.
"These three judges were the ones who delivered the unreasonable verdict in the Ronald Tannur case. So it is suspected that they were involved in bribery," he said in Jakarta on Thursday.
He also expressed support for the Attorney General's Office's efforts to expose the scandal that has tarnished the justice system. He said he is confident that they will uncover the mastermind behind the bribery case.
He further said he hopes that the Judicial Commission (KY) will improve its judicial oversight.
He described the bribery case as ironic as it was perpetrated by three judges from the same district court.
Sahroni expressed concern that similar cases involving other judges may be occurring but remain undetected. He warned that such actions would harm the public.
"Is it so easy to buy our law and justice? Therefore, the Judicial Commission must monitor the performance of judges more closely," he said.
He urged judges to maintain their integrity and conscience in carrying out their duties.
"To the judges, I ask you to uphold your integrity, professionalism, and conscience. The responsibilities of a judge's position will be accounted for in this world and the hereafter. Do not attempt to manipulate the system," Sahroni said.
