Jakarta – The conflict between Supreme Court justices and Judicial Commission officials has taken a new twist with a report the judges are plotting to destroy the commission.

Local media published Monday the alleged minutes of a secret meeting between a group of justices and attorneys in a North Jakarta hotel Feb. 2. Antara news agency reported that at least two justices confirmed the meeting did take place but refused to reveal the substance of the talks.

Relations between the two institutions soured last month when the commission floated the idea of reassessing the performance of 49 Supreme Court justices as part of efforts to clean up corruption in the court. Judges in the court have long been perceived as "untouchable" despite issuing many questionable verdicts.

The rift deepened when the commission later made public the names of 13 justices it called "problematic". Angered by the report, one judge, Artidjo Alkotsar, filed a defamation complaint against the commission with police.

Set up nine months ago, the commission is charged with supervising and scrutinizing court officials as part of efforts to clean up the country's notoriously graft-ridden judicial system.

In a document leaked to Antara, one of the eight justices attending the meeting Harifin A Tumpa reportedly said: "To solve this problem, we have to 'root them out'." Then justice Djoko Sarwoko, who is the Supreme Court spokesman, added, "... we'll have to liquidate the Judicial Commission."

Indonesian Legal Aid Foundation head Munarman said if the report was true, the plot was an "unconstitutional, evil conspiracy." "They also meant to involve police in the conspiracy. Isn't that perverting (the function of) police?" Munarman said. The reports only fueled public perceptions the judiciary was controlled by a corrupt mafia, he said.

Munarman called on the President, the House of Representatives and the Constitutional Court to intervene in the conflict between the Supreme Court and the Judicial Commission.

Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan said Monday the media should not exaggerate news about the justices' meeting.