In a move against judicial corruption, Indonesian authorities have arrested three judges from the Central Jakarta District Court. The arrests are linked to allegations of bribery involving the acquittal of major palm oil companies Wilmar Group, Musim Mas Group, and Permata Hijau Group in a high-profile corruption case concerning export permits. The suspect were detained late Sunday

According to the AGO’s director of investigations, Abdul Qohar, revealed that the judges, Agam Syarif Baharuddin, Ali Muhtarom and Djuyamto, ruled that the companies had been exporting crude palm oil without government permits, but they decided that their actions did not fall under the country’s criminal laws.

According to Qohar, “after questioning seven witnesses, we gathered sufficient evidence to name the three judges as suspects.

”They are fully aware that the payments were intended to secure a favourable ruling.

”In 2024, the judges first received 4.5 billion Indonesian rupees ($268,111) through former South Jakarta District Court Chief Muhammad Arif Nuryanta, and then another 18 billion Indonesian rupees in second transaction.

“After detainment of the judges, the total number of suspects in the case reached seven.” Qohar said

Prosecutors has identified South Jakarta District Court clerk Wahyu Gunawan, defence attorneys Marcella Santoso and Ariyanto, as well as Nuryanta as suspects in the investigation.

The ban on Indonesia’s export of crude palm oil was introduced by former President Joko Widodo in 2022 due to a nationwide shortage of cooking oil.

The government had then said that the country lost $10.9 million as a result of the illegal exports, as it had to subsidise cooking oil prices in the domestic market to compensate for the crisis.