KPK Arrests Supreme Court Justice
Jakarta. The Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, arrested a number of people including a Supreme Court justice during separate operations in Jakarta and the Central Java capital of Semarang on Thursday.
KPK Deputy Chairman Nurul Ghufron said the operations were a follow-up of a tip-off about alleged bribery and “illegal surcharges” in the Supreme Court handling of legal cases.
"The KPK has arrested a number of people and seized banknotes. We are having an active investigation in the meantime,” Ghufron said in a text message.
But Ghufron declined to go into details, including the identities of the people arrested.
Asked if a Supreme Court judge is among them, he replied: “True”.
The commission has 24 hours to detain them and conclude whether they become corruption suspects during this preliminary investigation.
A spokesman for court watchdog the Judicial Commission said they are still seeking confirmation from the KPK if a justice has been arrested.
"The KPK is saddened by the fact that it has to arrest a [Supreme Court] judge. Ideally, the justice system and the rule of law must be based on evidence, but they remain to be influenced by money,” Ghufron said.
“Law enforcement figures should become the pillar for the national justice, but they sell it for money,” he added.
Supreme Court spokesman Andi Samsan Nganro said separately he learned the news from the media and couldn’t comment until there is a notification from the KPK.
(The story has been updated with comments from the Supreme Court and the Judicial Commission.)