The trafficker in question, Hangky Gunawan, had been caught in possession of 11.1 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and drug production equipment, and was accused of running a drug laboratory in Surabaya, East Java. It was suspected he had paid Mr Yamanie a bribe, though the disgraced judge and the rest of the three-man bench were cleared of that offence.

Another senior judge, Putu Suika – the chairman of the judicial review panel looking into one of the Bali nine cases – was found in 2012 to have violated the judges code of ethics by meeting a defence lawyer in a karaoke bar during a trial and accepting money – he said it was a loan. The judge then favoured the lawyer's client during the trial. As deputy chief of Palangkaraya District Court, Mr Putu embezzled a car and was moved to Mataram District Court.

He was dismissed in July 2012, but was allowed an "honorable discharge".

Curiously, the lawyer Mr Putu was accused of taking money from, Mohamad Rifan, also represented Chan and Sukumaran in their original 2006 trials, and said recently he had evidence from that time that could discredit him but form the basis of a new legal appeal for the Australians. He has not provided further details.

Few, if any, Indonesians trust a legal system that is sometimes capricious, incompetent and corrupted by money and favours.