SYARIFUDDIN is not a top performing judge. Many doubt his integrity, and his rulings are often controversial. This is how some people—in particular anticorruption activists—felt long before the judge was detained by investigators of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) at the beginning of last month.

As a judge at the Makassar District Court, Syarifuddin released 38 people indicted for corruption. These included 28 members of the 1999