TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Supreme Court and the Judicial Commission will hold an ethics council hearing this week to evaluate eight judges for violating the ethics code, for bribery, committing adultery and using drugs.
"Six judges might be dishonorably discharged as proposed by the Supreme Court," said Ridwan Mansyur, Law and Public Relations Bureau Chief, yesterday. Two other judges, proposed by the Judicial Commission, will also be fired.
According to Ridwan, one judge who might be fired was Ramlan Comel, an ad hoc judge at the Bandung District Court. Ramlan's dismissal is linked to the corruption during the Bandung government’s social grant graft case appeal in 2009-2010. Ridwan did not disclose the details of Ramlan’s crime.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has placed a travel ban on Ramlan and West Java High Court judge, Serefina Sinaga, as of October 2013. Ramlan, who has been questioned by the KPK numerous times, testified at the Bandung Corruption Court hearing against the defendants, former judge Setyabudi Tejocahyono, former Bandung Mayor Dada Rosada and Bandung City Secretary Edi Siswadi. Ramlan, who was in the panel of judges during the social grant case trial, allegedly received US$ 18,300 from Dada.
Eman Suparman, chief justice of the Judicial Commision's Monitoring and Investigation section, confirmed that his organization had recommended the dismissal of two judges, Mataram District Court judge Pastra Joseph Ziraluo and Pekanbaru Administrative Court judge Pahala Shetya Lumbanbatu. "One judge received bribes and the other used drugs," Eman said.
FRANSISCO ROSARIANS | KHAIRUL ANAM | AHMAD NURHASIM