Ina Parlina and Margareth S.Aritonang, Jakarta – Supreme Court justice candidate Sudrajad Dimyati was caught allegedly giving what was believed to be an envelope to a lawmaker in a restroom.

The alleged incident occurred shortly after Sudrajad answered questions from members of the House of Representatives' legal affairs commission during a fit-and-proper test on Wednesday.

Nervously, the Pontianak High Court judge immediately denied the alleged "backroom deal". The lawmaker, Bahruddin Nashori of the National Awakening Party (PKB), along with commission chairman I Gede Pasek Suardika held a press conference to deny the allegation.

"There was no such deal. I just wanted to use the restroom," Sudrajad said. Bahruddin claimed that he only "showed Sudrajad a piece of paper to ask him which candidates came from career and non-career judges."

Sudrajad, who is among 12 candidates vying to fill seven vacant posts, told lawmakers during the test that he was a modest person and that he always "opted for the cheapest fights" and "refused any gifts when presiding cases". He went on to say that he supported imprisoning judges involved in graft in a draft bill to revise the 2009 Supreme Court Law.

Wednesday's alleged incident comes in the wake of the House's plan to gain more a control over Supreme Court justices as the lawmakers have said they are not happy with their deteriorating performances.

The House said it wanted carry out fit-and-proper tests for justices every five years in the draft bill of the 2009 law, said House Commission III's Syarifuddin Sudding earlier on Wednesday before the alleged incident occurred. "They are spoiled as justices. They are out of control and are always hiding behind excuses," Sudding said. (ebf)