Distribution of Bribe Money on the 11th Floor of the Supreme Court Building

The indictment filed by the KPK against Supreme Court Justice Sudrajad Dimyati has been submitted to the Bandung District Court (PN). On the 11th floor of the Supreme Court Building, where Judge Elly received money distributed by Sudrajat Dimyati and Judge Elly from Muhajir Habibie, Sudrajat Dimyati allegedly received bribe money for the benefit of the bribers. The money was placed in a pink goodie bag with two envelopes.

Adding to the Long List of Corrupt Judges

This case also adds to the long list of corrupt judges. According to KPK data, no fewer than 21 judges have been proven to have engaged in corrupt practices since the anti-corruption agency was established.

Why are Judges Involved in Corruption?

There are several factors that need to be considered to understand why this condition can occur. First, the track record of Judge Sudrajad Dimiyati is questionable. This has been evident since 2013, when Sudrajad allegedly attempted to bribe members of Commission III of the House of Representatives during the fit and proper test process for candidates for Supreme Court Justice. After being examined by the Judicial Commission, he was rejected for appointment as a Supreme Court Justice in 2013, but was elected as a Supreme Court Justice in the Civil Chamber a year later. This at least shows that the selection process for candidates for Supreme Court Justice does not prioritize integrity values.

Second, the weakness of the supervision process carried out by the Supervisory Body of the Supreme Court and the Judicial Commission institutionally has opened up opportunities for corruption in the judicial sector. As a result, many corrupt judges and court employees are not detected by law enforcement.

At the same time, if we look back over the past few years, the performance of the Supreme Court has received a lot of public attention. Among them is the imposition of lenient sentences on repeat offenders of corruption. Based on ICW data on sentencing trends, the average court sentence in 2021 was only 3 years and 5 months.

In addition, instead of increasing the provision of a deterrent effect, the Supreme Court is instead giving away discounts to shorten prison terms through the Judicial Review (PK) process. Based on ICW sentencing trend data, there were 15 convicted corruptors whose sentences were reduced through this extraordinary legal effort in 2021.

Some time ago, the Supreme Court also contributed to the release of 23 convicted corruptors. The Supreme Court overturned Government Regulation No. 99 of 2012 concerning Requirements and Procedures for the Implementation of the Rights of Correctional Institution Inmates after conducting a judicial review of the regulation, which strictly regulates the requirements for granting remissions and parole to convicts in corruption cases.