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