Judge Acquits Lawyer Junaedi in Bribery Case Over Ruling to Free CPO
Jakarta – Lawyer Junaedi Saibih has been acquitted in a case of alleged bribery related to the manipulation of a ruling to acquit in a corruption case over the provision of crude palm oil (CPO) export facilities in 2025.
Chief Judge Effendi stated that the public prosecutors failed to prove a meeting of minds or consensus regarding the conduct of Junaedi in the bribery case.
‘Menyatakan terdakwa Junaedi tidak terbukti secara sah dan meyakinkan bersalah melakukan tindak pidana sebagaimana didakwakan dalam dakwaan alternatif kesatu, alternatif kedua, dan alternatif ketiga penuntut umum,’ said the Chief Judge at the reading of the verdict in the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court, on Tuesday.
As a result, the Chief Judge declared that the prosecutors’ demands for revoking Junaedi’s practising licence and his dismissal as a lecturer at Universitas Indonesia were moot.
Therefore, the panel ordered the restoration of Junaedi’s rights in his position, capacity, dignity, and status.
The Chief Judge stated that Junaedi never travelled to Singapore for an in-person meeting with Wilmar Group Singapore, the principal party, as evidenced by Junaedi’s passport.
Additionally, the Chief Judge noted there was no communication between Junaedi and the other two co-defendants, Marcella Santoso and Ariyanto, indicating no meeting of minds to hand over money, no division of roles in carrying out the bribery, and no identifiable joint agreement.
‘Meeting of minds is a prerequisite for the offence of bribery,’ the Chief Judge said.
Earlier, Junaedi faced a nine-year prison term and a fine of Rp600 million, with a subsidiary sentence of 150 days’ imprisonment.
With respect to his professional status, he was also charged with the panel ordering the bar association to permanently suspend him.
In the case, Junaedi was charged with supplying a bribe amounting to Rp40 billion to judges handling the CPO corruption matter, together with Marcella Santoso and Ariyanto and Wilmar Group’s Head of Social Security Legal Muhammad Syafei.
For his acts, Junaedi is alleged to have violated Article 6(1)(a) or Article 5(1)(a) or Article 13 in conjunction with Article 18 of Law Number 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption as amended and supplemented by Law Number 20 of 2001 in conjunction with Article 55(1) (1) of the Indonesian Penal Code.