The jakarta Globe, December 19, 2013.
The Jakarta High Court has handed down a heftier sentence to corruption convict Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo, ordering him to serve 18 years in prison and refund the state Rp 32 billion ($2,624,000) for his involvement in the graft-ridden procurement of driving simulators.
According to the court’s official website, the panel of judges, led by Roki Panjaitan, stated that the former traffic police chief was proven guilty of corruption and money laundering during his verdict trial on Wednesday.
“The defendant is being sentenced to 18 years in prison and being fined Rp 1 billion, with one year cut [for time already served],” the verdict, published on Thursday, read.
Djoko was previously sentenced to 10 years in prison and ordered to pay Rp 500 million in fines on Sept. 3 by the Jakarta Anti-Corruption court for his participation in a case that cost the state some Rp 121 billion in losses.
Both Djoko and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) filed an appeal to the Jakarta High Court over the initial verdict.
However, the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court in its first ruling ordered the confiscation of the two-star police general’s assets, totaling roughly Rp 200 billion.
During the appeals trial — not attended by Djoko — the High Court demanded that Djoko return Rp 32 billion to the state over the case. Additionally, the court also ordered that more of his assets, including a 377-square-meter house in Tanjung Barat, South Jakarta, and two Toyota Avanzas, be seized.
The court also stripped Djoko of his voting rights and has prevented him from running for public office in the future.
The High Court’s verdict is similar to what prosecutor’s had sought at the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court. The commission’s deputy chief, Bambang Widjojanto, welcomed the court’s decision.
“The verdict has issued a strong signal that the court has become firmer and cannot be played with by corruptors,” he told the Jakarta Globe via text message on Thursday.
He added that the ruling was a belated “gift” for all corruptors in celebration of International Anti-Corruption Day, which was celebrated on Dec. 9.
This latest ruling follows a trend of heavier appeal sentences being handed down by the nation’s judiciary. On Nov. 21, the Supreme Court sentenced disgraced lawmaker Angelina Sondakh to an additional eight years imprisonment tripling her jail term and matching prosecutors’ initial demands following an appeal from the KPK.
Angelina, who was found guilty in January of systematically rigging government contracts, was also ordered to pay back the state Rp 3.42 million on top of Rp 500 million in fines.
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do 19 dec 2013 - 10:50