Indonesian Constitutional Court judge detained for graft

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A Indonesian Constitutional Court judge has been detained for allegedly accepting $160,000 in bribes, officials said Thursday, January 26, the latest blow to the country’s graft-riddled judiciary.

Patrialis Akbar, who also used to be Indonesia’s justice minister, was detained Wednesday by the anti-graft agency for allegedly receiving the money from a meat importer who was seeking to influence a review by the court of a livestock law.

“I, on behalf of the Constitutional Court, convey my deepest apology to all Indonesians,” court Chief Justice Arief Hidayat told a press conference as the news was announced.

“All the Constitutional Court judges are very concerned and deeply regret that this incident happened.”

It is just the latest corruption scandal to hit the institution. In 2014 the court’s then chief justice was jailed for life for accepting more than $5 million in bribes to influence rulings. 

Akbar and several other people were detained in Jakarta after the anti-graft agency received a tip-off from a member of the public, said agency official Basaria Panjaitan.

An intermediary who allegedly delivered the money was detained first at a golf course, before the agency picked up the meat importer, identified only by his initials BHR, and seven of his staff at their offices, Panjaitan said.

Akbar, one of the court’s nine judges, was the last person to be arrested, and was detained at an upmarket Jakarta shopping mall in the company of several people.

The judge, who was justice minister from 2009-11, is suspected of receiving money from the businessman “regarding the judicial review of the 2014 law on farming and the health of livestock”, Panjaitan said.

The money consisted of $20,000 and Sg$200,000 ($140,000).

The ruling has not yet been handed down, the agency official added.

Akbar, the the meat importer and two other people who were arrested have formally been named suspects, which means authorities belive there is enough evidence against them to consider filing charges. 

The court, which hears cases about the constitution and rules on any attempt to impeach the president, will request that Akbar be suspended, Hidayat said.

Indonesia was ranked 90th out of 176 countries and territories in NGO Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index last year. A number one ranking represents the least corrupt. – Rappler.com