Judges Arrested in Indonesia's Palm Oil Scandal: Corruption Unveiled

Indonesian authorities have arrested three judges for acquitting palm oil companies charged with corruption related to export permits. The arrests follow the apprehension of the South Jakarta district court's chief judge for bribery. The Supreme Court may suspend and fire the judges if proven guilty.

In a significant legal move, three Indonesian judges have been arrested after they acquitted three palm oil firms of corruption charges linked to export permits, as confirmed by an official on Monday. This follows the arrest of the chief judge of a local court on bribery allegations.

Last month, a court cleared the companies – Wilmar Group, Musim Mas Group, and Permata Hijau Group – of misconduct charges in obtaining 2022 export permits. The three judges responsible for this decision were detained on Sunday night, Attorney General's Office spokesperson Harli Siregar informed Reuters via text message.

Prosecutors also arrested Muhammad Arif Nuryanta, the chief judge of South Jakarta district court, on Saturday under allegations of receiving 60 billion rupiah ($3.57 million) for facilitating a favorable ruling. According to Siregar, two lawyers allegedly bribed the judges to ensure a non-crime ruling.

(With inputs from agencies.)