Judges quizzed over Rp 800m bribe

Judges quizzed over Rp 800m bribe

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan, North Sumatra

Judges at the North Sumatra High Court questioned three Medan
District Court judges on Monday in connection with allegations
they had taken bribes worth Rp 800 million to release the primary
defendant in a fraud scandal last month.

The judges in question were identified as presiding judge
Wagiah Astuti, J. Butar-Butar and Mangatas Sitohang.

All three were interrogated by the High Court's team of legal
investigators, namely judges Amir Sjarifuddin, Dalil Achmad and
Ismeth Ilahoede, during a closed session in the High Court
Library from 10:30 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.

The three, who refused to answer questions during the
interrogation, allegedly accepted Rp 3.5 billion from the
defendant Haryo Suharyono, who was acquitted on fraud charges on
April 11.

Haryo was charged with defrauding members of the public in a
pyramid-selling scheme. The case began when several members of
the public lodged a police complaint that Haryo had defrauded
them of about Rp 3.5 billion. Police conducted investigations,
arrested Haryo and seized the Rp 3.5 billion from Haryo as
evidence.

When Haryo was released, the Medan district court instructed
prosecutors to return the money to the defendant. On April 25,
members of the general public who still felt they were cheated
reported the case to police once again.

Judge Dalil said that soon the team of investigators would
call Medan District Court Chief M.S. Sihotang and Haryo for
questioning over the matter.

"We will also be calling prosecutors who handled Haryo's
case," Dalil said on Monday.

"Once investigations are done, results will be reported to the
North Sumatra High Court Chief (Slamet Riyanto), who will then
forward this case to the Supreme Court, so that further action
can be taken accordingly."

North Sumatra High Court Chief Chairuman Harahap said that he
too would be soon forming a team to look into the possible
involvement of prosecutors in Haryo's release.

Earlier, the North Sumatra High Court had also been looking
into another bribery scandal worth Rp 150 million, in which
judges Kamariah, Dahlia Brahmana and J. Nababan allegedly
accepted bribes from a local drug trafficker.

The results of this investigation will also be forwarded to
the Supreme Court.