Jakarta. Prosecutors have seized seven luxury cars and 21 high-end motorcycles from lawyer Ariyanto Bakri, who stands accused of funneling Rp 60 billion ($3.6 million) in bribes to judges overseeing a high-profile case involving illegal crude palm oil (CPO) exports.

Ariyanto, who frequently flaunted his luxury vehicles on social media, represents three major palm oil companies -- Wilmar Group, Permata Hijau Group, and Musim Mas Group -- that faced hefty fines for allegedly violating a temporary CPO export ban imposed during Indonesia’s 2022 cooking oil crisis.

Last month, the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court acquitted the companies of all charges and ordered prosecutors to restore their reputations. The controversial verdict prompted the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to launch a separate investigation, which has since led to the arrest of four judges, including South Jakarta District Court Chief Muhammad Arif Nuryanta.

The other judges involved -- Djuyamto, Ali Muhtarom, and Agam Syarif Baharuddin -- were part of the panel that handed down the acquittal. Preliminary findings suggest that Djuyamto, the presiding judge, received Rp 6 billion, while Ali and Agam allegedly took Rp 5 billion and Rp 4.5 billion, respectively. It remains unclear how much, if any, was paid to Judge Arif, who is suspected of orchestrating the bribery scheme.

Weeks before his arrest, Djuyamto received the excellent alumni award from Sebelas Maret University, where he earned his undergraduate, master's, and doctoral degrees. His thesis proposes an extraordinary measure against corruption, suggesting that trial judges have the authority to name witnesses as corruption suspects when evidence and testimonies prove their involvement. Such an authority is currently reserved for police, prosecutors, and investigators of the Corruption Eradication Commission.

As the investigation deepens, prosecutors have begun seizing assets believed to be connected to the illicit payments.

“From AR alone, we seized seven luxury cars, 21 motorcycles, and seven bicycles,” said AGO spokesperson Harli Siregar on Wednesday, referring to Ariyanto by his initials.

Guilty Pleads
According to Harli, the three trial judges have confessed to accepting payments, while Judge Arif has remained silent during multiple interrogations.

To date, the AGO has named eight suspects in the bribery scandal: Ariyanto, the four judges, court clerk Wahyu Gunawan, defense attorney Marcella Santoso, and Wilmar Group’s legal affairs officer Muhammad Syafei.

Before the acquittal, prosecutors had demanded massive financial penalties:

• Rp 11.8 trillion ($702.7 million) from Wilmar Group
• Rp 4.8 trillion ($285.8 million) from Musim Mas Group
• Rp 937 billion ($55.8 million) from Permata Hijau Group

Prosecutors had already seized Rp 1.4 trillion ($83 million) in cash and dozens of luxury vehicles from the companies, with the funds now held in a government account.

The case stems from a temporary CPO export ban introduced by then-President Joko Widodo in 2022, aimed at curbing a nationwide cooking oil shortage. Prosecutors allege that the illegal exports by the three companies cost the state Rp 18.3 trillion ($1 billion), forcing the government to heavily subsidize domestic cooking oil prices.

In an earlier phase of the investigation, five individuals --including well-known market analyst Lin Che Wei and a senior official at the Trade Ministry -- were convicted in January 2023 and sentenced to prison terms ranging from one to three years. Other convicted figures include former Director General of International Trade Indrasari Wisnu Wardhana, and business executives Master Parulian Tumanggor, Stanley MA, and Pierre Togar Sitanggang.