JAKARTA, Nov 2: Indonesia’s judiciary will be randomly tested for drugs after a judge was arrested at a Jakarta nightclub last month on suspicion of possessing ecstasy and crystal meth, officials said on Friday.

The arrest of the judge, who was allegedly accompanied by prostitutes when he was caught at the club called Illigals, sparked uproar and is the latest challenge for what critics say is a corruption-ridden judiciary.

The national narcotics agency said that it had struck an agreement with the judicial commission to subject judges to unannounced urine tests.

“The use of drugs by judges is a breach of their code of ethics and will clearly disrupt their performance,” said Asep Rahman Fajar, a spokesman for the commission, which oversees the work of the country’s judges.

Indonesia has tough drug laws and possession is punishable with up to 12 years in jail.

The district judge, who worked at a court in Bekasi on the outskirts of Jakarta, was arrested on Oct 16 by drug agency officials in the five-floor club, said narcotics agency spokesman Sumirat Dwiyanto.—AFP