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.