Following months of internal investigations, the Attorney General's Office (AGO) has fired a prosecutor and reprimanded three others for their involvement in a bribery scandal.

Assistant attorney general for internal affairs Darmono said Monday prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan had officially been dishonorably dismissed from the corps after being found guilty by the Corruption Court of receiving a bribe from a businesswoman close to tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim, who was under AGO investigation at the time.

"UTG was dismissed dishonorably from his duty as a public servant. He was proven to have accepted a bribe and the court has sentenced him to 20 years in jail," Darmono said.

Former assistant attorney general for special crimes Kemas Yahya Rahman, former assistant attorney general for civic and state administrative affairs Untung Udji Santoso, former director of investigation Muhammad Salim and former chief of East Jakarta prosecutor's office Joko Widodo were found guilty of exchanging information via telephone with the businesswoman, Artalyta Suryani, in order for her to escape prosecution.

In a tapped conversation heard in Urip's trial, Kemas informed Artalyta of the AGO's decision to drop Sjamsul's case and Artalyta could be heard saying the money was then available.

Other recorded conversations were played during the trials of Urip and Artalyta by prosecutors from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Urip was caught red-handed by KPK prosecutors in March receiving a US$660,000 bribe from Artalyta, who was working on behalf of Sjamsul, then a fugitive on the run.

All the prosecutors were implicated in a bribery scandal centered around the alleged embezzlement of Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support (BLBI) funds.

Untung escaped punishment after he resigned but Kemas, Salim and Joko were handed light sentences. Darmono defended the decision for lenient jail terms for the prosecutors.

"It's true that (bribery) is a high-profile case, but still, the facts leading to the involvement of the three accused are not that significant.

"None of their acts were proven to have caused criminal violations, so the punishments are proportional enough," Darmono said.

In terms of Untung, Darmono said, no punishment could be imposed on him due to his resignation a year earlier.

Untung resigned in August with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono officially affirming in a decree that he would serve as a functional prosecutor.

"We consider the decree as punishment enough for him," Darmono said.

Popular

Stocks sink, oil surges on reports of Middle East attacks

Israel launches strike against Iran: US media

North Sulawesi volcano eruption forces evacuations, airport closure