IDR 1 Trillion In The House Of Former MA Hardjuno Official: Our Legal World Is In Serious Crisis

Legal observer, Hardjuno Wiwoho. (Photo: Special)

JAKARTA - The Indonesian people were surprised by the discovery of money worth almost Rp. 1 trillion and 51 kilograms of gold at the residence of a former Supreme Court (MA) official, Zarof Ricar. Legal observer and anti-corruption activist Hardjuno Wiwoho assessed that the incident confirmed that the legal world in Indonesia was experiencing a serious crisis. This is also a big challenge in upholding the integrity of Indonesian judiciary.

"When a former judicial official is found to be keeping money in fantastic quantities, this is not only a warning, but also a threat to the credibility of our legal system. This is a reflection that there is a serious crisis in supervision and accountability at the highest level of the judiciary," Hardjuno said in Jakarta, Sunday, October 27.

Previously, the AGO managed to find nearly Rp1 trillion and 51 kilograms of gold at the residence of a former Supreme Court (MA) official, Zarof Ricar. The search was carried out in two locations, namely Zarof's house in Senayan, South Jakarta, and his lodging in Le Meridien Bali on October 24, 2024, regarding the alleged bribery in Ronald Tannur's acquittal.

"First, I want to say, that we investigators are actually also shocked. I did not expect that there was almost Rp 1 trillion in cash in the house and almost 51 kilograms in gold," said the Director of Investigation at the Junior Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus), Abdul Qohar, Friday, October 25.

In addition to the rupiah currency, the AGO also found five other foreign currencies, including the Hong Kong dollar, euro, US dollar, and Singapore dollar which, when converted, the overall value of the money secured reached Rp920.9 billion.

This Doctorate of Law and Development from Airlangga University (Unair) confirmed that this case revealed a big gap in the legal system which should be the last bastion of justice in Indonesia.

"When that amount of money is found at the home of a former judicial official, this cannot be considered just an individual case. This is a systemic problem that indicates how weak the internal control mechanism is in the judiciary," he added.

The search and findings, according to Hardjuno, could be a momentum to encourage more in-depth reform. He proposed that there be tightening of supervision of assets and assets of judicial officials, as well as higher transparency in case management, especially in the cassation stage which often involves high-ranking judicial officials.

"We need reforms that not only tighten the rules, but also a monitoring mechanism that allows every corrupt practice to be detected early. Transparency is the main necessity," he said.

In addition, Hardjuno suggested that the AGO and other law enforcement agencies dare to take progressive steps in law enforcement against high-ranking judicial officials involved in cases like this.

This case should be a strong warning that no one is above the law, including those who should enforce the law. If we don't act decisively now, then public trust in the judiciary will collapse further," said Hardjuno.

Dia juga menyoroti bahwa posisi Zarof sebagai produser film Sang Pengadil, yang baru-baru dirilis, hanya memperkuat ironi dalam kasus ini.

"When a judicial official who once produced a film called the Court was actually entangled in a bribery case, this became an embarrassing paradox for our judiciary," he added.

Furthermore, Hardjuno emphasized the importance of independence and integrity in law enforcement so that the judicial system can be clean from dirty practices that injure justice.

"The success of the AGO in uncovering this case deserves appreciation, but this is just the beginning. Legal reform must continue to be fought for, and law enforcers at all levels need to be reminded not to play with justice," he concluded.