The Corruption Court has convicted National Mandate Party (PAN) legislator Abdul Hadi Djamal of corruption and sentenced him to three years in prison for taking bribes from a Transportation Ministry official.
"The defendant is legally and convincingly guilty of corruption and should serve three years in jail and pay Rp 150 million *US$16,000* in fines or serve an additional four months in jail should he fail to pay the fine," presiding judge Sutiyono said Friday when reading out the verdict.
The sentence was less than the five years prosecutors had sought.
The panel of judges, Sutiyono said, had taken into consideration the defendant's cooperation during the trial and his confession as mitigation factors.
Abdul was arrested while taking Rp 54 million and $90,000 from Transportation Ministry official Darmawati Dareho on March 2.
At the time, he served on the House of Representatives' budgetary committee, in charge of monitoring a Rp 100 billion budget for infrastructure development projects in eastern Indonesia.
"We find the defendant's not guilty of influencing other legislators to approve the budget," said judge Ahmad Linoh.
Hontjo Kurniawan, a commissioner of ministry contractor PT Kurnia Jaya Wira Bhakti, contacted Abdul to try to get the budgetary committee to approve his company for the projects, promising the legislator Rp 3 billion for his cooperation.
The payment, in Indonesian and US currencies, was made in several phases.
The first payment was $80,000, followed by a second payment of Rp 32 million on Feb. 26, while $70,000 was paid later that day. The last payment was the one that saw Abdul arrested.
All the payments were made through Darmawati, who has herself been convicted and sentenced to three years for her role in the case, while Hontjo has been jailed for three-and-a-half years.
During his trial, Abdul claimed repeatedly that Jhonny Allen, a legislator from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, was involved in the case, saying they had shared the money.
"The defendant ordered Commission V administration staffer Abdul Hanan to hand over the $80,000 and Rp 32 million to Jhonny Allen Marbun on Feb. 27," said judge Linoh.
After the verdict was handed down, an emotional Abdul said he would not contest it, for the sake of his family and his peace of mind.
"I was convicted only as facilitator in the case," he said. "I wasn't convicted as a corrupt official because I don't have any money, I handed it all to Jhonny Allen."
He added he expected the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to follow up on his claims by investigating Jhonny Allen.
Prosecutor Suwardji said his team would decide over the next week whether to appeal what they saw as a lenient sentencing.
Abdul becomes the latest in a string of legislators, current and serving, who have been jailed by the Corruption Court, which boasts a 100 percent conviction record.
Previous legislators thrown behind bars include Noor Adenan Razak, Hamka Yandhu, Anthony Zeidra Abidin, Yusuf Erwin Faishal, Sarjan Tahir, Al Amien Nur Nasution, Bulyan Royan and Saleh Djasit.
