Two days ago the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) conducted a sting operation (OTT) in Bengkulu and arrested two judges of the Corruption Court of the Bengkulu District Court. The two judges are additions to the long list of judges that the KPK have caught within the past 3 years. All of which received bribes in exchange for their help in arranging the verdict of a case in favor of the briber. Who are these judges?

Kartini Julianna Magdalena Marpaung

She was arrested by the KPK in 2012. At that time, Kartini was a judge at the Corruption Court of Semarang, Central Java. Kartini was arrested along with Heru Subandono, who worked as a judge at the Corruption Court in Pontianak, West Kalimantan. Both judges were caught after receiving bribe for arranging the results of the trial of a corruption case involving the regional representative council (DPRD) of Grobogan, Central Java. The case also brought down the then chairman of DPRD M. Yaeni. Kartini was a member of the panel of judges together with Pragsono and Asmadinata. Heru Subandono was M Yaeni’s broker. In 2014, the Supreme Court rejected Kartini’s cassation. In accordance with the decision at the appellate stage, Kartini was sentenced to 10 years in prison with the obligation to pay Rp500 million in bribe subsidiary 5 months in prison.

Pragsono

From the development of the KPK’s investigation into Kartini, the KPK arrested Pragsono, Kartini’s colleague and member of the panel of judges that oversaw the aforementioned case involving DPRD Grobogan. Pragsono was also proven to have accepted bribes from M. Yaeni in the amount of  Rp100 million. Pragsono was arrested together with his colleague, who was the other member of the same panel of judges, namely Ad Hoc Judge Asmadinata. At the first stage of trial Pragsono was sentenced to 5 years. But in 2014, the High Court aggravated his sentence to 6 years in prison with the obligation to pay Rp200 million in fine subsidiary 2 months in prison.

Asmadinata

Asmadinata was named as a suspect along with Pragsono in connections with the aforementioned case. In 2014 the High Court of Semarang aggravated Asmadinata’s penalty from 5 years imprisonment to 6 years imprisonment. Asmadinata was also ordered to pay Rp 200 million in fine subsidiary 2 months in prison.

Setyabudi Tedjocahyono

Also in 2013, the KPK arrested Setyabudi Tedjocahyono, who was the vice chairman of the Bandung District Court. Setyabudi accepted Rp2 billion in bribes from the former Bandung Mayor Dada Rosada—through the latter’s employee Toto Hutagalung and Asep Triana—in exchange for the former’s help in arranging the outcome of the trial of the embezzlement of the Bandung City social social grants fund. In the same year Setyabudi was convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison with the obligation to pay Rp200 million in fine subsidiary 3 months in prison.

Ramlan Comel

In March 2014, after developing the investigation into Setyabudi’s graft case, the KPK arrested ad hoc judge Ramlan Comel. By December 2014, Ramlan was convicted and sentenced to 7 years in prison with the obligation to pay Rp200 million in fine subsidiary 1 month imprisonment.

Pasti Serefina Sinaga

Also as a result of the development of their investigation into Setyabudi’s graft case, the KPK arrested the then judge of the Bandung High Court Pasti Serefina Sinaga. Serefina was the presiding judge that helped Setyabudi arranged the punishment for the defendants of the Bandung City graft case. Serefina was found guilty for asking and receiving bribes in the amount of Rp1 billion. By February 2015, the disgraced judge was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment with the obligation to pay Rp200 million in fine subsidiary 2 months imprisonment.

In addition to the judges arrested by the KPK, there is also a judge who was known for being a broker of cases, namely, the Ad Hoc judge of the Medan Corruption Court Kemas Ahmad Jauhari. The former Head of Deli Serdang’s Department of Public Works Ir. Faisal was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison in August 2013. But the sentencing was graced by the dissenting opinion of two members of the panel of judges, namely, Kemas Jauhari and Sugiyanto. Both judges argued that the defendant was not proven guilty of crime. At the appellate stage, Kemal tried to lobby the assembly of appeals after being persuaded by Rp500 million in cash. The assembly ignored Kemas and instead aggravated Faisal’s sentence to 12 years in prison with the obligation to pay Rp500 million in fine subsidiary 6 months in prison, and the obligation to pay Rp98 billion in compensation subsidiary of 5 years in prison. Kemas was later reported to the Judicial Commission and by February 2015 Kemas was fired from his position.

By Pradnya Paramitha

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