Judge's bribery trial to continue

JAKARTA: The Central Jakarta District Court decided on Wednesday to continue the trial of a Jakarta high court judge accused of bribery.

Presiding judge Bambang Sriwulan said that the defendant, Fauzatulo Zendrato, 50, could be charged under the Criminal Code and the Anticorruption Law.

Previously, the defendant's lawyers had argued that the indictment made by the prosecutor was "overlapping" and "excessive".

"The indictment was not excessive. It could even help the defendant and his lawyers to formulate their defense since it points out which articles the defendant violated," Bambang said.

Fauzatulo faces prosecution for allegedly receiving some Rp 500 million in bribes from PT Surabaya Industrial Estate Rungkut in return for a favorable verdict in a land dispute case two years ago, when he headed the appeal division at the Supreme Court.

Prosecutor Agus Sutoto has accused the defendant of violating the Anticorruption Law and also article 418 of the Criminal Code, which prohibits state officials from receiving gifts.

The court will resume next week.--JP