Camelia Pasandaran, Nivell Rayda & Farouk Arnaz, Jakarta – The Constitutional Court on Tuesday pressed charges against a court clerk and the plaintiff accused of bribing him, while another plaintiff has reported his former lawyer for libel, as the fallout from graft allegations at the court continues.

Janedjri M Gaffar, the court's secretary general, said Makhfud, a clerk, and Dirwan Mahmud, a former candidate in the 2008 election for head of South Bengkulu district, would be reported to police on Tuesday.

Dirwan previously claimed to have bribed Makhfud in exchange for a favorable ruling in a challenge to his victory in the election.

In January 2010, the court threw out the election results and disqualified Dirwan from running in a re-vote, ruling that he had previously served a seven-year sentence for assault and murder and was thus ineligible to run for public office.

However, Muhammad Asrun, Makhfud's lawyer, said his client should not take the fall alone. "The court is only trying to find a scapegoat," he said. "Makhfud was introduced to Dirwan by Neshawaty. She should also be reported."

Neshawaty is the daughter of Judge Arsyad Sanusi, who was the only justice on the panel of seven to rule in favor of Dirwan.

Asrun said the clerk had handed back the alleged bribe, which comprised the title deed to a plot of land as well as Rp 35 million ($3,900) He said he had handed over copies of the money transfer from Makhfud to Dirwan to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

However, Asrun declined to say how Makhfud got the money in the first place. "My client quickly realized there was an attempt to bribe him," he said. "The most important thing is that my client took it upon himself to return the money."

In another development, JR Saragih, the head of Simalungun district in North Sumatra, reported his former lawyer, Refly Harun, to the police for libel.

Refly previously alleged that Saragih had paid Judge Akil Mochtar Rp 1 billion to uphold his victory in the election there in August. The court went on to rule in Saragih's favor. Akil has denied ever taking money, and on Friday filed a report against Refly with the KPK.

Saragih, speaking after filing his report with the National Police, protested his own innocence in the case. "Refly's claim is defamatory and slanderous," he said.

Refly's claims of bribery at the Constitutional Court, considered one of the country's few bastions of integrity, prompted Chief Justice Mahfud MD to order the lawyer to set up a fact-finding team to prove the allegations.