ANN/THE STAR – Indonesian authorities arrested three judges who acquitted three palm oil companies of charges of corruption in obtaining export permits, an official said yesterday, following the arrest of a local court’s chief judge on bribery charges in the same matter.
A court last month acquitted the three companies – Wilmar Group, Musim Mas Group, and North Sumatra-based Permata Hijau Group – of charges of misconduct in obtaining export permits in 2022.
The three judges who made the ruling were arrested on Sunday night, a spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office Harli Siregar told the media in a text message yesterday.
On Saturday, prosecutors arrested chief judge of South Jakarta district court Muhammad Arif Nuryanta.
He was allegedly paid IDR60 billion (USD3.57 million) to arrange for a favourable verdict by two lawyers for the companies, Siregar said in a statement, adding that USD1.07 million was then allegedly paid to the three other judges.
“The bribe was given so that the judges would rule that it’s not a crime,” Siregar said, adding that a court clerk and two lawyers had also been arrested.
The media could not immediately reach the three judges or their lawyers for comment.
Siregar said the Attorney General’s Office had filed an appeal against the court’s March acquittal of the companies.
