The Jakarta Corruption Court has sentenced Zarof Ricar, a former senior official at the  Supreme Court, to 16 years in prison for his involvement in a major corruption case, including bribery and accepting illicit gratuities during his tenure.

The sentence, handed down on Wednesday, June 18, is lighter than the 20-year prison term sought by State prosecutors. The panel of judges found Zarof guilty of violating multiple articles of Indonesia’s Anti-Corruption Law, including provisions related to bribery and gratification under Law No. 31/1999, as amended by Law No. 20/2001.

Zarof was convicted for promising bribes to influence a judicial ruling in the case of Ronald Tannur, as well as for receiving substantial unlawful gratuities during his time in office.

“The defendant demonstrated greed, committing these crimes even in retirement despite already possessing significant wealth,” Presiding Judge Rosihan said while reading the verdict as reported by Antara on Wednesday, June 15, 2025.

Despite the severity of the offense, the court opted not to impose the maximum sentence, citing Zarof’s age of 63, compared to the national life expectancy of 72 years, noting that a 20-year sentence would effectively amount to life imprisonment.

During his time as the head of the Research and Development, Law and Judicial Training Center of the Supreme Court, Zarof reportedly amassed Rp915 billion (US$56 million) and 51 kilograms of gold in illegal gratuities between 2012 and 2022.

The case came to light after law enforcement discovered Rp920 billion in cash at Zarof’s residence − triggering a broader investigation into alleged case brokering within the Supreme Court system.

Prosecutors revealed that the gratuities originated from litigants across multiple court levels − from district courts to appeals, cassation, and judicial review proceedings. Zarof was allegedly a central figure in a case-brokering network within the judiciary, undermining the integrity of Indonesia’s legal system.

The verdict marks another chapter in Indonesia's ongoing efforts to combat corruption in its legal institutions and serves as a stark warning to public officials who abuse their positions for personal gain.