Jakarta. Zarof Ricar, a former head of the Supreme Court’s R&D division, enjoyed a prestigious career before his retirement in 2022. However, recent events have cast a shadow over his post-retirement pursuits, which included producing the film Sang Pengadil (The Judge), aimed at inspiring young people to become judges with a commitment to integrity.

Few questioned how a retired civil servant with a monthly salary of approximately Rp 20 million ($1,279) could afford to finance a film project. Zarof, who once held the respected position of deputy chairman of the ethics council at the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI), was a well-regarded figure.

But an ongoing investigation in an unrelated murder case recently led prosecutors from the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to Zarof’s home in Jakarta, where they discovered Rp 920 billion ($58.8 million) in cash and 51 kilograms of gold bars.

On October 24 -- coincidentally the day Sang Pengadil premiered in cinemas -- Zarof, 62, was arrested in a Bali hotel. He now faces charges of intervening in the murder trial of Ronald Tannur, allegedly offering to influence the trial’s outcome in exchange for a payment.

A Closer Look at the Murder Trial
Ronald Tannur had controversially been acquitted of murdering his girlfriend, despite video evidence showing him ramming his car into her. The acquittal on July 24 caused public outrage and led prosecutors to appeal to the Supreme Court.

In their ruling, the judges reasoned that Ronald, the son of a former House of Representatives member, did not intend to kill Dini Sera Afrianti, 29, since he provided emergency assistance and took her to a hospital. They further argued that her death was due to excessive alcohol consumption, and ordered Ronald’s immediate release.

While appealing to the Supreme Court, AGO prosecutors secretly investigated the three judges responsible for the acquittal. In a shocking development on October 23, prosecutors announced the arrests of the three judges -- Erintuah Damanik, Mangapul, and Heru Hanindyo -- along with Ronald’s defense lawyer, Lisa Rahmat, on bribery charges. Searches of their residences in Surabaya, Semarang, and Jakarta turned up banknotes totaling over Rp 20 billion ($1.3 million). Prosecutors allege that the judges received bribes from Ronald’s lawyer in exchange for his acquittal.

Following these arrests, the Supreme Court overturned the acquittal, sentencing Ronald to five years for aggravated assault, rather than murder.

Zarof’s Alleged Role
In their attempt to maintain Ronald’s acquittal, his defense team sought additional help as the AGO’s appeal moved forward. According to Abdul Qohar, director of criminal investigation at the AGO, defense attorney Lisa Rahmat approached Zarof for assistance, hoping he could use his influence as an insider at the Supreme Court.

Qohar said Zarof had a history of “brokering” cases within the Supreme Court during his tenure, allegedly securing favorable rulings in exchange for money.

Lisa reportedly paid Zarof Rp 5 billion, of which Rp 1 billion was intended as Zarof’s fee, Qohar said during a news conference in Jakarta on Friday. Zarof advised Lisa to first convert the payment to foreign currencies to avoid detection due to the large volume of rupiah notes. She complied, converting the money at a South Jakarta exchange.

Even prior to these revelations, Zarof’s last public financial disclosure in 2021 raised questions, showing assets exceeding Rp 51 billion ($3.3 million) -- an unusual figure for a career civil servant.

He could have retired peacefully with a lot of money and the public perception of him as a highly respected figure.