Corruption allegations raise doubts about Indonesian trials of Australians on death row: FM

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia called for an urgent investigation on Monday into reports alleging two Australian drug traffickers were sentenced to death in an Indonesian trial tainted by corruption.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said the allegations were "very serious" and called into question the integrity of the sentencing process.

"It's a matter for Indonesia's judicial commission to investigate these matters and that underlines why we continue to request Indonesia to allow the judicial commission to finalize its review," Bishop told reporters. "This must be allowed to continue before any action is taken to prepare for executions."

The Indonesian foreign ministry, judicial commission and attorney general's office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Bali-based lawyer Muhammad Rifan told the Sydney Morning Herald that he had agreed to pay judges in the cases of Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran more than A$130,000 ($101,647) to give them a prison term of less than 20 years.

Rifan said the deal fell through when the judges told him they had been ordered by senior legal and government members in Jakarta to impose a death penalty and he didn't have enough money to meet a revised, higher demand for a lighter sentence.

Rifan could not be reached for comment.

(Editing by Jeremy Laurence)