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.