MK chief justice, Golkar lawmaker arrested

JAKARTA. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has announced the arrest of Constitutional Court Chief Justice Akil Mochtar, a Golkar Party politician named Chairunissa, Gunung Mas Regent Hambit Bintih and two businessmen identified as CHN and DH over bribery charges on Wednesday night in a sting operation.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi SP said the investigators had also raided around Rp 3 billion in Singapore dollars from Akil’s house as evidence.

“We are now still questioning them,” Johan said as quoted by kompas.com.

The money was allegedly given to Akil as bribe money so he would deliver a ruling in favor of the regent during the Gunung Mas elections lawsuit currently tried at the Constitutional Court.

KPK investigators had first arrested Akil, Chairunisa and CHN at Akil’s official house at the Widya Chandra housing complex in Kuningan, South Jakarta. Following the lead, the investigators then went to a hotel in Central Jakarta and arrest two more people, Hambit and DH from there.

Akil Mochtar had just replaced Mohammad Mahfud MD as the new chief justice. Before serving as judge, Akil was known as Golkar Party politician.

Three years ago, scholar Refly Harun had also came public with accusations regarding Akil alleged involvement in a graft case but then Akil denied the accusation and no inquiries was ever conducted.

source: www.thejakartapost.com