Bali Nine Death Penalty Judges Accused Of Asking For Bribes

As convicted Australian drug smugglers Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran await execution in Indonesia, the pair’s legal team have alleged that the judges who sentenced the pair to death asked for bribes in exchange for lighter sentences.
This surprising allegation came out in a letter sent to Indonesia’s Judicial Commission, and is based on a claim made by Chan and Sukumaran’s original trial lawyer Muhummad Rifan.
The letter alleges that the six judges who handed down the sentence violated the judicial code of conduct by asking for bribes, and demands an investigation into the matter.
The Herald Sun obtained the letter, which reads, in part:
“Muhammad Rifan said that the judges were pressured from certain parties to give the death sentence, and the judges had also conveyed to Muhammad Rifan that they were willing to give a lighter sentence than death sentence to his client if they were given some money.”
The death penalties were handed down by two three-person panels. Since the allegations came out, one of the judges involved has said that she planned to give a lighter sentence, but has been overruled.
Chan and Sukumaran’s legal team have requested a meeting with Indonesia’s Attorney General, and have also asked for a stay of execution, until the bribery claims are addressed.

Photo: Sonny Tumbelaka via Getty Images

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