CHAIRMAN of the Judicial Commission (KY) Amzulian Rifai held a meeting with Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin at the Indonesian Attorney General’s Complex, Jakarta, Tuesday (12/11). The meeting took place in the middle of the investigation into a case of alleged bribery and/or gratification which involved three judges at the Surabaya District Court (PN) as suspects in connection with the murder case committed by Ronald Tannur.
After meeting Burhanuddin, Amzulian emphasized that his party’s authority could only investigate ethical violations by members of the judiciary. During this meeting, he said that often investigations carried out by KY found criminal elements. However, Amzulian admitted that his party could not investigate this matter.
“Sometimes during an ethical examination, there are actually things that we believe are criminal in nature. But, when we feel that they are criminal, our authority does not extend to that,” he explained.
Therefore, the meeting with the Attorney General is a moment for the KY to mitigate if it finds suspected criminal acts when examining individual judges. According to Amzulian, Burhanuddin has expressed his willingness to follow up on the results of the KY examination at a later date.
“We will convey follow-up if the results of the examination are criminal. The Attorney General is pleased to follow up later if there are criminal matters,” said Amzulian.
It is known that JAM-Pidsus investigators have named six people as suspects in cases of alleged bribery and/or gratification related to case management, including three Surabaya District Court judges, namely Erintuah Damanik, Mangapul, and Heru Hanindyo.
The other three suspects are former Head of the Legal and Judicial Training Agency of the Supreme Court (MA) Zarof Ricar, Ronald’s lawyer named Lisa Rachmat, and Meirizka Widjaja as Ronald’s mother.
Erintuah, Mangapul, and Heru handed down a verdict of acquittal against Ronald at the first instance court. Meanwhile, at the cassation hearing, Ronald’s case was tried by Supreme Court justices Soesilo, Ainal Mardhiah and Sutarjo.
Separately, Burhanuddin emphasized that his party would follow up on the report submitted by KY. If the results of the KY’s examination of individual judges are deemed accurate, investigators, continued the Attorney General, will investigate them.
He also said that he would not feel uncomfortable if he investigated a case involving a supreme judge at the Supreme Court. (P-5)
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What is the Judicial Commission’s (KY) role in investigating alleged judicial misconduct?
## Interview with KY Chairman Amzulian Rifai
**Interviewer:** Thank you for joining us today, Chairman Rifai. I want to discuss the recent meeting you had with Attorney General Sanitiar Burhanuddin regarding the investigation into alleged bribery involving three judges in Surabaya.
**Chairman Rifai:** It was a productive meeting. As you know, the Judicial Commission (KY) is tasked with investigating ethical violations within the judiciary.
**Interviewer:** Right, but you mentioned during the meeting that KY investigations sometimes uncover potential criminal activity. Can you elaborate on that?
**Chairman Rifai:** Absolutely. In the course of our ethical examinations, we often encounter situations that raise serious concerns about criminal conduct. For example, bribery schemes or other egregious violations of the law. [[1](https://mediaindonesia.com/news/read/669729/0/)]. While we are committed to upholding ethical standards within the judiciary, our authority is limited to investigating ethical breaches. We cannot pursue criminal charges.
**Interviewer:** So, what’s the purpose of meeting with the Attorney General?
**Chairman Rifai:** Exactly. The meeting was crucial for establishing a collaborative framework. When we identify potential criminal acts during our investigations, we need a mechanism to seamlessly handover these cases to the Attorney General’s office, who have the power and resources to investigate and prosecute criminal offenses.
**Interviewer:** This seems like a crucial step to ensure accountability within the judicial system.
**Chairman Rifai:** It is indeed. Our primary goal is to maintain public trust in the judiciary. By working closely with the Attorney General’s office, we can ensure that any suspected criminal acts by judicial officials are thoroughly investigated and, if warranted, prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. [[2](https://mediaindonesia.com/news/read/669729/0/)].
