Cilacap District Court Judge Dismissed with Pension Rights Over Bribery
A Cilacap District Court judge, identified by the initials IWS, has been dismissed with pension rights after being proven to have accepted a bribe from a lawyer in 2023. The decision was reached during a Judicial Honour Panel session held by the Judicial Commission together with the Supreme Court at the Supreme Court building on Tuesday (9/6).
IWS is currently seconded as a judicial judge at the Central Java High Court. “Imposing a sanction on the reported individual (IWS) in the form of permanent dismissal with pension rights,” said the panel’s presiding chair, Supreme Justice Hamdi, as quoted from a press release shared by the Judicial Commission on Wednesday (10/6).
The sanction is lighter than the recommendation of the Supreme Court Supervisory Body, which had requested a dishonourable discharge. In 2023, IWS, who was serving at the Cilacap District Court at the time, received Rp15 million from an advocate related to case handling. IWS was a substitute judge at the time.
Additionally, IWS attempted to arrange a meeting between one of the litigants and the panel chair outside of court proceedings, namely Judge ASS, who had also been sanctioned with permanent dismissal and pension rights at a Judicial Honour Panel session on 26 May 2026. IWS was also said to have promised to assist in case handling by requesting and borrowing money from advocates in Cilacap.
The investigation report from the Supreme Court Supervisory Body revealed that IWS also committed immoral acts unbecoming of a judge. In his defence, IWS confirmed having received the Rp15 million from the litigating advocate. However, he also claimed to have returned part of the money before being examined by the supervisory body.
IWS did not deny attempting to introduce one of the litigants to ASS, citing friendship as the reason. However, upon arriving at ASS’s official residence, ASS’s spouse expelled IWS. IWS claimed it was a momentary lapse and stated it was the first time he had committed such an act.
IWS admitted only to having borrowed Rp2-3 million from an advocate, claiming the money was used to pay for his sick parent’s medical treatment. He stressed that the debt had been repaid. Regarding the promise to handle cases for advocates in exchange for money, IWS claimed it was merely a joke that never materialised. “I admit my mistakes and lapses, and I request the lightest possible punishment. I apologise for all my mistakes and lapses,” IWS said in his defence.
In its legal considerations, the Judicial Honour Panel deemed that no new information was presented during the session after the supervisory body’s examination. In connection with the previous case involving ASS, no new mitigating circumstances were found either. The mitigating factors considered were that IWS has family dependents, including a non-working spouse, and has served for 33 years as a judge, meaning his status as a civil servant could still be maintained. “Deciding, one, to partially accept the respondent’s defence. Two, to amend the official memo of the Supreme Court Supervisory Body Chamber Head against respondent IWS to a severe sanction in the form of releasing the respondent from their position as a judge,” Hamdi concluded.