Jakarta. Zarof Ricar, a former Supreme Court official, was arrested by the Attorney General (AGO) in Jimbaran, Bali, on Thursday. The arrest is strongly linked to bribery allegations involving three judges who acquitted Ronald Tannur, 31, in the high-profile murder case of her then-girlfriend, Dini Sera Afrianti, 28.

Zarof, who has since retired from the Supreme Court, was confirmed to be in custody by Putu Eka Sabana, the head of public relations for the Bali Supreme Prosecutor’s Office, on Friday. Zarof was director of the Supreme Court’s Office of Legal Education and Judicial Training for ten years, from 2012 to 2022.

Abdul Qohar, the head of special crimes at the AGO, reported that during a search of Zarof’s residence in Bali, investigators discovered nearly Rp 1 trillion (approximately US$63.86 million) in various denominations of Indonesian rupiah and foreign currencies.

In addition to the cash, authorities seized 51 kilograms of gold bars related to the case.

Lisa Rahman, Ronald Tannur’s lawyer, allegedly tried to bribe Supreme Court official Zarof Ricar with Rp 5 billion in an attempt to secure a favorable outcome for Tannur’s case at the cassation level.

– Apparently the money was still in an envelope at Zarof’s house, Abdul Qohar said during the press conference on Friday.

“This suggests a conspiracy to bribe judges to secure an acquittal in the case,” he added.

The arrest follows a wider corruption investigation involving three judges – Erintuah Damanik, Mangapul and Heru Hanindyo – accused of taking bribes during Ronald’s trial. Ronald, son of Edward Tannur, a former member of the House of Representatives from the National Awakening Party (PKB), was accused of murdering his girlfriend, Dini Sera Afrianti, by hitting her with his car after a night out at a night club in Surabaya on 4 October 2023.

According to the police, Ronald allegedly punched Dini, a 29-year-old widow from Sukabumi, West Java, after a heated argument in the parking lot of Lenmarc Mall in Surabaya. He then transported her to an apartment before taking her to a hospital, where she died on the way.

The judges’ initial acquittal on July 24 sparked public outrage and criticism from the AGO.

On October 24, the Supreme Court overturned the judges’ earlier acquittal and sentenced Ronald to five years in prison for murder after prosecutors appealed the decision. The court found him guilty of violent assault, which can carry a maximum sentence of seven years if the assault leads to the victim’s death.

Meanwhile, prosecutors have seized more than Rp 20 billion in cash from the judges, who have now been arrested on corruption charges.

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