Jakarta. Three former Surabaya District Court judges who acquitted Ronald Tannur in a high-profile murder case are now facing prison sentences ranging from nine to twelve years. Prosecutors allege the acquittal was the result of bribery and gratification.

The judges --presiding judge Erintuah Damanik and associate judges Heru Hanindyo and Mangapul-- were charged by state prosecutors for accepting bribes in connection with their July 2023 decision to release Tannur, who had been accused of fatally assaulting his girlfriend, Dini Sera Afrianti.

At a Central Jakarta Corruption Court hearing on Tuesday, prosecutors demanded a nine-year prison sentence for Erintuah Damanik along with a Rp750 million ($44,500) fine, or an additional six months in jail if unpaid. Heru Hanindyo faces the heaviest sentence, with prosecutors seeking 12 years in prison and the same financial penalty. Mangapul was also handed a demand for nine years in prison and a Rp750 million fine.

Prosecutors allege the judges received Rp 4.6 billion in bribes --Rp1 billion in Indonesian rupiah and SGD 308,000-- from Ronald’s mother, Meirizka Widjaja, and his lawyer, Lisa Rachmat.

Ronald Tannur, the son of a member of Indonesia’s House of Representatives, was arrested in 2023 after allegedly running his car into Dini in a Surabaya parking lot. Despite video evidence showing the incident, the Surabaya court controversially acquitted him, ruling Dini’s death resulted from alcohol intoxication and claiming Ronald lacked malicious intent. Ronald was rearrested last October. The ruling sparked widespread public outrage.

The bribery investigation has since widened. Prosecutors say then-Court Chairman Rudi Suparmono facilitated the scheme by meeting with defense attorney Lisa Rachmat and promising to form a sympathetic panel. He reportedly introduced the lead judge to Lisa Rachmat during a meeting at his office on March 4, 2023.

The case has also implicated a former Supreme Court official, Zarof Ricar, who allegedly received bribes to influence the appeals process. Authorities discovered Rp920 billion in cash and 51 kilograms of gold bars during a search of his private residence, believed to be linked to a broader pattern of corruption during his tenure.

Add as a preferred source on Google +