Judge reported for attempted extortion

Judge reported for attempted extortion

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A lawyer filed a complaint with Jakarta police on Friday alleging
a district court judge attempted to blackmail him during a recent
court case.

In his complaint, lawyer Wawan Irawan said South Jakarta
District Court judge Torang H. Tampubolon, handling a civil case
involving his client, had demanded money in exchange for a
favorable ruling.

"He earlier asked me to give him a cellular phone. My client
approved his demand. But we rejected his demand when he asked for
Rp 3 billion (US$333,333) to rule in favor my client," the lawyer
said.

His client's company, PT Satya Teguh Persada, was sued by
plaintiff PT Asri Kencana Gemilang in a commercial dispute
involving the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) and
state-owned Bank Mandiri.

On Oct. 24, PT Satya's director Taufik Surya Dharma met
Tampubolon at Hotel Gran Melia in South Jakarta, at the
insistence of the judge. Tampubolon, still wearing his judge's
robes, offered to help Taufik win the legal suit.

It was during a second meeting, at the Hotel Mulia in Central
Jakarta on Dec. 10, that Tampubolon asked for Rp 3 billion.

Another lawyer representing Taufik, Omay Komayadi, said
Tampubolon gave his client a day to pay, but he refused.

The hearing on Dec. 12 was adjourned to Dec. 17, where
Tampubolon and two other judges ruled in favor of PT Asri. The
court ordered PT Satya to pay a Rp 43 billion fine.

Judge Tampubolon has denied the extortion accusations, but
failed to show up in court after the allegations were reported in
the media.

Chief justice Bagir Manan has ordered his subordinates to
investigate the case.

Bribery and extortion are common in the country's judicial
system that has pave the way for wealthy criminals, mostly
corruptors, to escape justice.