Chief Judge in Ronald Tannur Case Gets Rp 1 Billion after Threat of "Dissenting Opinion"

JAKARTA, KOMPAS – Non-active judge Erintuah Damanik had threatened to issue a dissenting opinion in the acquittal of Ronald Tannur in the case of serious assault on Dini Sera Afrianti.

Erintuah, who served as the presiding judge in the Ronald Tannur case at the Surabaya District Court, felt deceived because he only received 38,000 Singapore dollars (approximately Rp 463.9 million), which was merely 2,000 Singapore dollars less than the amount received by the associate judges.

After that threat, Erintuah received another 48,000 Singapore dollars, equivalent to Rp 587.2 million, from Ronald Tannur's lawyer, Lisa Rachmat. Thus, Erintuah obtained bribe money amounting to over Rp 1 billion in the case of Ronald Tannur's acquittal verdict.

Erintuah was presented by the public prosecutor as a witness in the bribery case involving the acquittal of Ronald Tannur, with the defendants being former Supreme Court official Zarof Ricar; Ronald Tannur's mother, Meirizka Widjaja; and Lisa Rachmat at the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor) on Monday (3/3/2025).

In addition to Erintuah, the public prosecutor also questioned the non-active judge Mangapul, another judge in Ronald's case, and the Director of PT Indra Forexindo (a money changer company), Agus Sardjono. They were questioned as witnesses alternately.

The witness examination hearing was presided over by Chief Judge Rosihan Juhriah Rangkuti, accompanied by Purwanto S. Abdullah and Sigit Herman Binaji as panel judges.

Initially, the public prosecutor delved into the matter of the 140,000 Singapore dollars in bribe money received by Erintuah Damanik from Lisa Rachmat for the acquittal of Ronaldo Tannur.

Erintuah explained that the judges' deliberation had been conducted three times before Ronald's acquittal verdict was announced. During the first deliberation, two panel judges, Mangapul and Heru Hanindyo, stated that there was no strong evidence in the case. The panel of judges agreed that Ronald Tannur should be acquitted of all charges brought by the prosecutors. The deliberation took place after the hearing agenda for the examination of the defendant, Ronald Tannur.

After the trial with the agenda of examining the defendant Ronald Tannur, Erintuah admitted that Lisa Rachmat contacted her to meet. She suggested Lisa meet her at the Dunkin Donuts Outlet at Ahmad Yani Airport Semarang in early June 2024.

“Well, after meeting at the Dunkin Donuts outlet. He asked me. Free, sir? Free, sir, right? I said. Yes, according to the deliberation, free, I said. Then I was handed an envelope which I later found out contained 140,000 Singapore dollars,” said Erintuah Damanik.

Before the meeting, Erintuah admitted that she had met on March 4, 2024. At that time, the composition of the panel of judges for Ronald Tannur's case had not yet been determined.

On that occasion, Erintuah continued, Lisa asked her to be the chief judge and help acquit Ronald Tannur. According to Erintuah, the request to be the chief judge also came from Mangapul and Heru Hanindyo as well as the Head of the Surabaya District Court, Rudi Suparmono.

At the meeting, Lisa also offered an envelope containing money. However, Erintuah refused because she had to examine her case first. "I said, wait, I have to see the case first. I have to see, try this case first," she said.

Then before the acquittal verdict was read on July 24, 2024, Erintuah said she had divided the 140,000 Singapore dollars equally among the two member judges and the Head of the Surabaya District Court and the Registrar. The distribution was carried out in Mangapul's office.

He only got 38,000 Singapore dollars, and the two member judges each got 36,000 Singapore dollars. While for the Head of the Surabaya District Court around 20,000 Singapore dollars and the rest for the clerk.

"Yes, those people said to divide it equally, I handed it over. Please divide it equally, it turns out I was over 2,000 Singapore dollars. Okay, I'm 38, they each got 36," said Erintuah.

However, with a difference of only 2,000 Singapore dollars, Erintuah admitted that she was played by Lisa Rachmat. She then met Lisa again at the same location at the end of June 2024.

At the meeting, Erintuah threatened to make a dissenting opinion in Ronald Tannur's decision. She would also return the money that Lisa had given her. Then Lisa Rachmat gave her 48,000 Singapore dollars.

"The important thing is that I said dissenting, I returned the money. Oh no sir, he said. We met. We met. Finally we met and handed over the 48,000 dollars," said Erintuah.

He admitted that he had returned all the money to the Attorney General's Office investigators. He also claimed that the money was not to influence the judge to acquit Ronald Tannur.

Because, during the trial, no strong evidence was found of Ronald Tannur's abuse of Dini Sera Afrianti which resulted in the death of Ronald's lover.

The decision to acquit Ronald was also based on the judges' deliberations that had been carried out.

"We have discussed it, we are free, he said he wanted to promise something. That, we want to meet, yes we just accept it. But basically we are free," said Erintuah.

Regarding the statement of witness Erintuah Damanik, Zarof and Meirizka stated that they had no objections. Meanwhile, Lisa denied that the 140,000 Singapore dollars and 48,000 Singapore dollars given to Erintuah came from her.