Bribery case closed

Bribery case closed

The Jakarta High Court has decided to close the bribery case
involving Supreme Court Justice Supraptini Sutarto and former
Supreme Court Justices M. Yahya Harahap and Marnis Kahar.

The three justices were reported by Endin Wahyudin, a middle
man, who said that he had bribed the judges to rule in his favor
in a land dispute in West Java. He claimed he paid them a total
of Rp 196 million.

Supraptini and Marnis were then tried at the Central Jakarta
District Court, but the court suspended the case due to a legal
technicality. The West Jakarta District Court also cited a
similar reason for suspending the bribery case of Harahap.

But Endin was sentenced by the Central Jakarta District Court
to three months in prison for defaming the judges.

Prosecutors who handled the cases of Supraptini, Marnis and
Harahap appealed to the high court.

But high court Judges Jusnia Supranoto, Ignatius Subianto and
Hartomo, decided to close the case of Supraptini and Marnis on
the grounds that Endin did not appeal the verdict.

"It could be interpreted that there was no bribery involving
the judges as he had only defamed them," according to the
decision.

High court Judges Suhardi H., Hartati and I Gusti Ngurah
Suparka, ruled that the case of Harahap could not be reopened
because "the indictment did not mention the name of Endin
Wahyudin, who reported the case."

The high court decisions, which were made public on Wednesday
by high court spokesman Agustinus Hutahuruk were issued earlier
this year.--JP