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The Chief Judge Of The South Jakarta District Court Has Allegedly Received A Bribe Of IDR 60 Billion, With Three Other Judges Sharing IDR 22.5 Billion Among Themselves

The Chief Judge of the South Jakarta District Court, Muhammad Arif Nuryanta (MAN), is alleged to have accepted a bribe of IDR 60 billion in exchange for a verdict of acquittal in a case involving the export of crude palm oil (CPO). The bribe was intended to persuade the judge to issue a ruling of ontslag, or release, for three implicated companies: Wilmar Group, Permata Hijau Group, and Musim Mas Group. 

Out of the IDR 60 billion, Muhammad Arif Nuryanta reportedly distributed IDR 22.5 billion among the three judges overseeing the CPO export case. These judges include Agam Syarif Baharuddin (ASB) and Ali Muhtarom (AM) from the Central Jakarta District Court, as well as Djuyamto (DJU) from the South Jakarta District Court. Initially, Muhammad Arif Nuryanta provided IDR 4.5 billion to the three judges. Subsequently, between September and October 2024, he handed over an additional IDR 18 billion to Djuyamto (DJU). 

Djuyamto then allocated the funds to Agam Syarif Baharuddin (ASB) and Ali Muhtarom (AM), with the transactions taking place in front of the BRI Bank in Pasar Baru, Central Jakarta. "ASB received the equivalent of IDR 4.5 billion in US dollars, DJU received approximately IDR 6 billion in US dollars, and AM was given around IDR 5 billion in US dollars," stated Abdul Qohar, the Director of Investigation at the Attorney General's Office for Special Crimes (Jampidsus), during a press conference at the Kartika Lobby of the Attorney General's Office on Saturday night, April 12, 2025. 

Regarding the remaining bribe money, Qohar mentioned that the investigation is ongoing. "This is what we are still developing. We are looking into whether any of the remaining funds were distributed to others or if they are entirely controlled by the suspect, MAN," he said. An acquittal verdict is a judicial decision indicating that the defendant has been found to have committed the alleged act, but that the act does not fall under the category of a criminal offense. 

Tag: Agam Syarif Baharuddin Muhammad Arif Nuryanta South Jakarta District Court