Jakarta – A Jakarta court has ordered investigators to drop an inquiry into corruption allegations against two Indonesian supreme court justices. South Jakarta District Court Judge Rusmandani on Friday upheld a demand by the two accused justices that the investigation was invalid because the inquiry team had acted beyond its authority.

The Joint Anti-Corruption Team set up in May by presidential decree announced in August that its investigations showed that three active and retired Supreme Court judges had accepted bribes totalling US$22,500. Two of those named appealed, and the third, retired justice Yahya Harahap, denied the charges but filed no appeal.

The decision by the South Jakarta District Court was expected to be a further setback to the government's drive to clean up the notoriously corrupt Indonesian court system. The same court earlier this week dismissed corruption charges against former President Suharto on grounds of ill health, prompting street demonstrations by students.

Mr M. Silaban, the head of the investigating team, which also includes police and state prosecutors, said he planned to appeal against Friday's decision by the South Jakarta court to the Supreme Court. Mr Silaban also said the team had no plans to drop its investigation.