In arresting retired Supreme Court clerk Zarof Ricar last week, the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) appears to have killed two birds with one stone. State prosecutors uncovered not only alleged bribery in the controversial acquittal of a former politician’s son on murder charges in Surabaya, but also entrenched corruption within the country’s justice system.
Zarof has been named as a suspect for his alleged role in helping Gregorius Ronald Tannur, son of former National Awakening Party (PKB) lawmaker Edward Tannur, escape charges of beating and killing his girlfriend, Dina Sera Afrianti, last year.
The AGO later discovered Rp 920 billion (US$58.54 million) in cash and about 51 kilograms of gold bars during a search of Zarof’s house in Senayan, Jakarta. The assets are believed to have been obtained by Zarof from his brokerage position during his tenure on the Supreme Court from 2012 to 2022.
Zarof’s arrest has only confirmed suspicions of a “legal mafia practice” where money can buy justice. Public demands have increased for comprehensive legal reforms since Zarof’s arrest.
Zarof was arrested in Bali on the evening of October 24 and named as a suspect for accepting bribes from lawyer Lisa Rahmat in exchange for a court order to acquit her client, Ronald. The AGO has also arrested Lisa and Surabaya District Court Judges Erintuah Damanik, Mangapul and Heru Hanindyo in connection with the bribery case.
According to Abdul Qohar, the head of investigations at the AGO’s Office of Extraordinary Crimes, Lisa also gave Zarof Rp 1 billion to arrange the panel of Supreme Court judges to hear Ronald’s cassation case, while another Rp 5 billion was earmarked for the justices, identified only as A, S and A. At Zarof’s request, the payment was made in foreign currency, which he allegedly stored in a safe at his home in Jakarta.
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In response to Zarof’s arrest, Supreme Court spokesman Yanto said that since Zarof has already retired, his actions no longer fall under the court’s direct responsibility. Nevertheless, the court has formed a team to review the three judges who heard Ronald’s cassation motion. The judges found Ronald guilty on October 22 and sentenced him to five years in prison.
