Supreme Court edict needed to try Gayus case judge outside Tangerang

The Tangerang District Prosecutor Office said Sunday it still needed a Supreme Court edict to file a graft dossier against former Tangerang District Court Chief Muhtadi Asnun at a court outside the city.

State prosecutor Bambang Setyadi admitted there was a call for prosecutors not to try Asnun in Tangerang due to fear that judges would not be neutral.

However, he said, that he was still waiting for a decision from the Justice and Human Rights Ministry and an edict from the Supreme Court to do so.

Asnun was accused of accepting a bribe of Rp 50 million (US$5,500) from Gayus Halomoan Tambunan, a tax official, to free him from a tax embezzlement charge.