Constitutional Court Vows Full Support of KPK Bribery Probe Against Judge
Jakarta. The Constitutional Court said it will support the national antigraft agency's investigation into an alleged bribery scandal involving one of its judges.
Speaking in a press conference on Thursday afternoon (26/01), Constitutional Court chairman Arief Hidayat said the institution will help Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in the ongoing investigation against Judge Patrialis Akbar, who was arrested in a sting operation earlier.
The court will provide KPK investigators with full access to question judges and officials without having to request official permits from President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, as ruled prescribed by the Constitutional Court Law, the chairman said.
"The Constitutional Court's ethics council will propose the establishment of a body to dismiss the judge involved in the bribery case," Arief said.
However, he also claimed that his side has yet to receive details of the case and that court was still unable to contact Patrialis.
"We do not know about the case yet, as we will wait for the KPK. However, we will still support and be ready to open access for the KPK to acquire information from our side," Arief said.
Patrialis is the second Constitutional Court judge to have been arrested for corruption, following the case involving former court chairman Akil Mochtar.
Akil was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014 after the KPK caught him red-handed while accepting bribes to issue favorable verdicts in election disputes.
One case involved former Palembang mayor Romi Herton, while the other saw former Banten governor Ratu Atut bribe Akil to sway the results of a disputed election in Lebak, Banten.
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