Jakarta – Coinciding with the Republic of Indonesia's 67th anniversary of independence, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested two judges with the ad-hoc corruption court in Semarang, Central Java on Friday.

"At 10 a.m. this morning, the KPK and the Supreme Court arrested three people, two of whom are judges with the ad-hoc corruption court in Semarang. The three people are now being questioned," KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto told a press conference at the KPK's headquarters in Jakarta.

Bambang said that the judges were identified as KM and HK, while the other person arrested, SD, was allegedly a go-between in the handling of public figure's graft case. KPK investigators also confiscated cash amounting to more than Rp 100 million (US$10,500).

"SD was allegedly the middleman between the judges and a popular figure whose graft case was being prosecuted. The cash was allegedly related to the case's prosecution," he added. KPK spokesman Johan Budi said the three suspects would be taken to Jakarta.

The judges' arrests are not unprecedented. Previously, the antigraft body arrested numerous judges in its operations, including Syarifuddin, a supervisory judge with the Central Jakarta District, and Imas Dianasari, an Industrial Relations Court judge with the Bandung District Court. (swd)