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Indonesia’s Top Judge Held in Corruption Case Indonesia’s Top Judge Held in Corruption Case
(about 2 hours later)
Indonesia — In the latest graft scandal in Indonesia, the chief justice of the country’s Constitutional Court was in custody on Thursday following a late-night raid on his official residence by anti-corruption investigators who allege he took a bribe to issue a favorable verdict in an election dispute. JAKARTA, Indonesia — The chief justice of Indonesia’s Constitutional Court was arrested on Thursday in a nighttime raid on his official residence by anti-corruption investigators, who accused the justice of taking a bribe to issue a favorable verdict in an election dispute.
Akil Mochtar, 62, who joined the Constitutional Court in 2008 and became chief justice in April, was arrested around 10 p.m. on Wednesday at his home in a government-owned housing complex in South Jakarta. Two other men in the house at the time — Chairun Nisa, a member of the national Parliament in Indonesia, and an unidentified local businessman — were taken into custody along with Mr. Akil, said Johan Budi, a spokesman for the independent Corruption Eradication Commission, or K.P.K. The justice, Akil Mochtar, 62, was appointed to the Constitutional Court in 2008 and became chief justice in April. He was arrested around 10 p.m. on Wednesday at his home in a government-owned housing complex in South Jakarta. Two other men in the house at the time — Chairun Nisa, a member of the national Parliament, and an unidentified local businessman — were taken into custody along with Mr. Akil, according to Johan Budi, a spokesman for the independent Corruption Eradication Commission. Mr. Budi said investigators also found a paper bag full of Singaporean and American currency totaling $232,000 at the house.
He said investigators recovered a paper bag full of Singaporean and U.S. dollars totaling $232,000. Investigators arrested four other men late Wednesday night at a hotel in Central Jakarta in connection withe the case, Mr. Budi said. One of them was Hambit Binti, a district chief in Central Kalimantan Province on Borneo Island. Mr. Binti was re-elected to the chief’s post on Sept. 4, but his opponent contested the result; the Constitutional Court has sole jurisdiction over election disputes.
Mr. Budi said investigators later arrested four other men Wednesday night at a hotel in Central Jakarta. They say these men also involved in the bribery payment to Mr. Akil. One of them was Hambit Binti, a district chief in Central Kalimantan Province on Borneo Island. Mr. Binti was re-elected on Sept. 4, but his opponent contested the result to the Constitutional Court, which has the sole power to rule on election disputes. “We believe Hambit Binti gave the money to Akil Mochtar, through the lawmaker and the businessman, so he would win the legal case,” Mr. Budi said. “We are still questioning Akil Mochtar, and he will remain in custody.” Mr. Budi said the investigators acted on a tip from the public.
“We believe Hambit Binti gave the money to Akil Mochtar, through the lawmaker and the businessman, so he would win the legal case,” Mr. Budi said, adding that the raid resulted from a tip by a member of the public. “We are still questioning Akil Mochtar, and he will remain in custody.” The chief justice was the latest in a series of senior Indonesian government and political figures to be caught up in corruption investigations. In August, the head of the country’s oil and gas regulator was arrested on bribery allegations after anti-corruption investigators raided his home and found more than $700,000 in cash. In January, Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, chairman of the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party, was arrested on charges of taking bribes in exchange for securing a government contract to import boxed beef.
The chief justice’s arrest was the latest in a string of high-profile corruption cases involving senior Indonesian government and political figures. In August, the head of the country’s oil and gas regulator was arrested on bribery allegations after anti-corruption investigators raided his home and found more than $700,000 in cash. In January, Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, chairman of the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party, was arrested by the K.P.K. for allegedly taking bribes in exchange for securing a government contract to import boxed beef. In February, the chairman of the ruling Democratic Party, Anas Urbaningrum, resigned after the anticorruption commission said he was a suspect in a corruption investigation surrounding the construction of a national sports complex in West Java Province. Andi Mallarangeng, a senior Democratic Party member and the country’s minister for sports and youth affairs, resigned in December after being named as a suspect in the same case.
In February, Anas Urbaningrum, chairman of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s governing Democratic Party, resigned after the K.P.K. named him a suspect in a corruption investigation into the construction of a national sports complex in West Java Province. Two months earlier, Andi Mallarangeng, a senior Democratic Party member and the country’s minister for sports and youth affairs, resigned after being named a suspect in the same case. The latest case, though, was an especially sensitive one because of the power Mr. Akil wields. Dadang Trisasongko, secretary general of the Indonesian offices of Transparency International, the anticorruption advocacy group, said that Mr. Akil’s arrest was dangerous for the country’s democratic transition, which began in 1998. Mr. Dadang said his group rates Indonesia’s judiciary as the third-most corrupt institution in the country, behind the national Parliament and national police.
Dadang Trisasongko, secretary general of the Indonesian offices of Transparency International, the Berlin-based nongovernmental organization, said Mr. Akil’s arrest was dangerous for the country’s democratic transition, which began in 1998, given the power of the Constitutional Court.
“The judges in the Constitutional Court have the authority to overturn election results and even laws passed by Parliament,” he said.
Mr. Dadang said Indonesia’s judiciary was its third-most corrupt institution, behind the national parliament and national police. Indonesia ranked 118 out of 176 countries in Transparency International’s most recent global corruption perception index.