Jakarta – Constitutional Court chief Mahfud MD told prosecutors to kick their habit of extorting money from defendants for preferential treatment.

Mahfud said Wednesday he had heard first hand accounts about prosecutors extorting money from the accused, one a veteran journalist Arswendo Atmowiloto.

Arswendo was sentenced to four-and-a-half-years in 1990 after tabloid Monitor, where he was editor-in-chief, released its popularity survey, which ranked Prophet Muhammad 11th just below him.

Mahfud said that defendants were often asked to pay much money to receive decent treatment or facilities while in detention. "I hope that Attorney General (Hendarman Supandji) will do something to stop this demeaning practice," he said.