Three Judges 'Free' CPO Corruption Sued 12 Years In Prison

The trial of reading the letter of demand for the alleged bribery case against a corruption case in the provision of CPO export facilities, at the Corruption Court (ANTARA/Agatha Olivia Victoria)

The three judges who gave the verdict on the corruption case for the provision of crude palm oil (CPO) export facilities in 2022 were each sentenced to 12 years in prison.

The three judges were presiding judge Djuyamto along with member judges Ali Muhtarom and Agam Syarief Baharuddin.

"We demand that the defendants be proven legally and convincingly guilty of committing a criminal act of corruption in accepting bribes that were committed jointly," said the public prosecutor (JPU) from the Attorney General's Office (AGO) Syamsul Bahri Siregar in a trial reading the indictment at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court, Wednesday, October 29, reported by ANTARA.

In addition to imprisonment, the Public Prosecutor also demanded that the three defendants be sentenced to a fine of Rp. 500 million each, provided that if the fine was not paid, it would be replaced (subsider) with imprisonment for 6 months.

Not only that, but the three judges were also required to be subject to additional penalties in the form of payment of replacement money, taking into account the assets of the defendant that had been confiscated in the investigation as payment of replacement money in the form of buildings and land.

In detail, Djuyamto was required to pay compensation of Rp9.5 billion and Ali and Agam Rp6.2 billion each, with a subsidiary of 5 years in prison.

Thus, the Public Prosecutor demanded that the three defendants be found guilty in accordance with Article 6 paragraph (2) in conjunction with Article 18 of Law (UU) Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) 1 of the Criminal Code.

Before filing the charges, the Public Prosecutor considered the actions of the three defendants who did not support the program for state administration that was clean and free from corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN), had injured public trust, especially in judiciary judiciary institutions, and had enjoyed the proceeds of criminal acts, as a burdensome matter.

"Meanwhile, the mitigating factors considered are that the defendants have never been convicted and have been cooperative and admitted their actions," said the prosecutor.

In this case, three judges were charged with accepting bribes in total of Rp. 21.9 billion. It was stated that the judges received the money twice.

First, Djuyamto received Rp1.7 billion and Agam and Ali Rp1.1 billion each. Second, Djuyamto received Rp7.8 billion and Agam and Ali Rp5.1 billion each.

The bribe money was allegedly received together with the former Deputy Chairman of the Central Jakarta District Court Muhammad Arif Nuryanta and the North Jakarta District Court Civil Youth Registrar Wahyu Gunawan.

In total, the money received by the judges together with Arif and Wahyu amounted to 2.5 million US dollars or Rp40 billion.

Bribes allegedly received from Ariyanto, Marcella Santoso, Junaedi Saabih, and Syafei as advocates or parties representing the interests of corporate defendants in the CPO case, namely Wilmar Group, Permata Hijau Group, and Musim Mas Group.

For their actions, the three judges were charged with violating Article 6 paragraph (2) or Article 12 letter c or Article 12B jo. Article 18 of Law (UU) Number 31 of 1999 concerning Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption as amended by Law Number 20 of 2021 jo. Article 55 paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code.