SBY dismisses Akil Mochtar from chief justice post

JAKARTA. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has announced his decision to temporarily dismiss Akil Mochtar from his current post as Constitutional Court chief justice to focus on the questioning process over bribery charges.  

Besides the dismissal, SBY had also announced that the government would issue a government regulation in-lieu of law (Perpu) stipulating a stricter justice recruitment process. He said the government would go all out to prevent all political interests from future recruitment processes, Kompas.com reported on Saturday.

The president had also said that the Court would be monitored by the Judicial Commission (KY) in carrying its duties from now on.

“I expect no resistance from the Court on this because we are doing this in order to save its institutional dignity,” he said.

Former chief justice Akil Mochtar was arrested and named a suspect by KPK investigators on Wednesday night after allegedly received a bribe  from Golkar lawmaker Chairun Nisa and a businessman named Cornelis.


The day after that, KPK had also named Akil as suspect for another case, the Lebak elections legal dispute. Akil was charged of receiving Rp 1 billion of bribe money from businessman Tubagus Chaeri Wardana, the sibling of Banten Governor Ratu Atut Choisiyah through a lawyer Susi Tur Handayani.