Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – Former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD has denied all the bribery allegations leveled against him following the arrest of another former chief justice, Akil Mochtar, last week.
Mahfud went to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Monday to give evidence to support his claim that he had not accepted bribes during his tenure as chief justice between 2008 and 2013.
"For all Indonesians who feel they paid money to me when I was the court's chief justice, just tell me. I will repay them twice [the amount of the bribes] and ask to be detained," he told a press conference at the KPK headquarters in Kuningan, South Jakarta.
Mahfud, who is currently a member of the court's honorary council tasked with Akil's sanction, also said his visit to the KPK was to discuss details on possible cooperation between the two institutions.
"I was discussing the possibility of a collaboration between the Constitutional Court and the KPK because Akil was detained by the KPK," he said. "That's why we need to coordinate to avoid disrupting [the KPK's investigation]."
At the press briefing, Mahfud also denied an allegation from Irwan H. Daulay, a former candidate in the local election in Mandailing Natal regency, North Sumatra. Daulay reportedly filed a complaint to the KPK in 2010, accusing Mahfud of accepting bribes from incumbent Mandailing Natal regent Hidayat Batubara.
The bribe was allegedly paid in an effort to convince Mahfud to not disqualify Hidayat despite the court finding the local election to be riddled with irregularities. "It turned out that there was no report. The person who said that was lying," he said. "If it's true that someone gave me Rp 3 billion [US$261,000], then right now I will repay him Rp 6 billion."
Others also allege Mahfud accepted Rp 4 billion in bribes in relation to Waringin Barat local election lawsuit in Central Kalimantan in 2011. The money was allegedly delivered to Mahfud through three Muslim clerics in Cirebon, West Java.
Mahfud once again denied the allegations and pledged he would be willing to cut his own fingers and neck should he be found guilty.
When asked about the fate of Akil, Mahfud said that the ethics council would hold its first meeting next week and it would take less than two months to decide on the most appropriate punishment for Akil.
Akil was arrested and named a suspect by KPK investigators last week after allegedly taking a bribe from Golkar lawmaker Chairun Nisa from the House of Representatives' Commission II overseeing regional autonomy and a businessman named Cornelius Nalau.
The alleged bribe was for Akil to deliver a verdict in favor of Hambit Bintih, the regent of Gunung Mas, Central Kalimantan, whose electoral-dispute case is currently being tried at the court.
The KPK also named Akil a suspect in another case on the Lebak elections legal dispute the next day. He was accused of taking Rp 1 billion (US$87,000) in bribes from businessman Tubagus Chaeri Wardana, the sibling of Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah, also a Golkar politician, through a lawyer, Susi Tur Andayani.
The KPK also announced that investigators had found illegal drugs, including four marijuana joints and crystal methamphetamine, inside Akil's office during their search last week.
KPK spokesperson Johan Budi said that the antigraft body's investigators had obtained CCTV footage from the Redtop Hotel in Central Jakarta, where Hambit was arrested last week.
Separately, KPK chairman Abraham Samad said the KPK would investigate other justices implicated in the allegations. "We are digging deeper now. We are looking into the possibility of other justices being involved. We sense Akil did not act alone," he said.
[Andi Hajramurni contributed to this report from Makassar.]