Supreme Court director tried for alleged bribery

JAKARTA (JP): A Supreme Court official was tried on Thursday for allegedly receiving Rp 100 million in a bribe to help a lawyer win her client's case.

Prosecutor Zainal Aritonang told the South Jakarta District Court that the Supreme Court Director for Administrative Cases Zainal Agus received the money from lawyer Maria Leonita Sri Chandra Harumi on several occasions in the period between August 1999 and January 2000 in the defendant's office and at his residence on Jl. Ampera, South Jakarta.

Maria was the lawyer of Sugito Darsono, who was in dispute with the now defunct National Land Agency (BPN) over a plot of land and a building on it, located at Jl. Tirtayasa No. 30, South Jakarta.

Maria also represented her client against Edy Handoyo in relation to the dispute of a plot of land and building, located on Jl. Blitar No. 15, Central Jakarta, Surung told the court.

As she lost the two cases in the lower court, she appealed to the Supreme Court.

The prosecutor said in the indictment that Zainal had actually asked Maria to pay Rp 500 million with the guarantee that she would win both her cases as he claimed to have a good relationship with the presiding justice I Ketut Suraputra, who is also a former deputy chief justice. But Maria only gave him Rp 100 million.

Zainal later told her that the panel of justices rejected her request, according to the prosecutor.

Surung charged Zainal with violating Article 12 of the 1999 Anticorruption Law and Article 423 of the Criminal Code which prohibits a civil servant from receiving money or gifts in relation with his or her position.

The 1999 Anticorruption Law carries a penalty ranging between four years to 20 years to a life sentence, or a fine amounting to between Rp 200 million and Rp 1 billion.

The trial on Zainal is based on the report of the Joint Anticorruption Team (TGPTPK) led by the former Justice Adi Andojo.

Zainal's lawyer O.C. Kaligis questioned the authority of the team in submitting the report as it was dissolved on June 8.

He said the Supreme Court on March 23 canceled the regulation that became the legal basis for the establishment of the anticorruption team, and gave less than three months for the team's dissolution.

The Presiding Judge I Gede Putra Djadja adjourned the trial until June 21.

This is the second bribery case involving the Supreme Court that was brought forward by the Joint Anticorruption Team. The first one involved two justices, Supraptini Sutarto and Marnis Kahar, and a former justice, Yahya Harahap. Ironically, the one standing trial is the man who reported the alleged bribery case, Endin Wahyudin, who is under the Attorney General's Office' witness protection scheme. He is being tried for libel following the complaints of the two justices who denied receiving any money from him. (02)