PALMOILMAGAZINE, JAKARTA — A sweeping bribery scandal tied to a major cooking oil corruption case has rocked Indonesia’s judicial system, as the Attorney General’s Office uncovered luxury cars, foreign currency, and a suspicious court verdict tied to top judges.
Following days of investigation, prosecutors raided multiple locations linked to suspects in a graft case involving three palm oil companies. The findings were shocking: billions of rupiah in foreign cash, luxury vehicles, and even bicycles and motorcycles seized across cities.
From a suspect identified as MAN in Tegal, investigators confiscated 40 SGD 100 notes and 125 USD 100 bills. At another suspect AR’s residence in East Jakarta, evidence included 10 SGD 100 and 74 SGD 50 notes, three luxury cars—including a Land Cruiser and two Land Rovers—21 motorcycles, and seven bicycles. In Jepara, $36,000 in cash and a Toyota Fortuner were secured, while other suspects stored money at homes and offices, all allegedly linked to a Rp60 billion bribery scheme.
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The plot allegedly began with corporate lawyer AR and middleman WG offering Rp20 billion to influence the outcome of a corruption trial. The bribe ballooned to Rp60 billion when MAN, then Deputy Chief of the Central Jakarta District Court, joined the deal. MAN selected a panel of three judges—DJU, AL, and ASB—all of whom reportedly received bribes.
On March 19, 2025, the court handed down a suspicious onslag (not guilty due to insufficient evidence) ruling in favor of the companies. However, the money trail led to the arrest of the judges involved: DJU (career judge), AM (ad hoc), and ASB (career judge), now officially suspects and detained at the Salemba detention center for 20 days.
The scandal lays bare a troubling reality—when justice is up for sale, trust in the system collapses under the weight of money. (P2)
