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AKARTA: The Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced curator Puguh Wiryawan (see photo) to three years and six months in jail on Tuesday after he was found guilty of bribing a Central Jakarta Commercial Court bankruptcy judge during the asset confiscation process involving PT Sky Camping Indonesia.

Both Puguh and judge Syarifuddin were arrested by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators in June prior to the delivery of Rp 250 million (US$28,500) in bribes paid as a token of appreciation for the judge agreeing to supervise the company’s bankruptcy process.

Syarifuddin once supervised the sale of assets confiscated from bankrupt companies. Skycamping Indonesia’s assets comprised two plots of land in Bekasi, West Java, valued at Rp 16 billion and Rp 9 billion, Johan said.

“The defendant has been proven guilty of violating the Anti-Corruption Law by bribing a judge,” presiding judge Mien Trisnawati said when delivering the verdict on Monday.

“Therefore the panel sentences him to three years and six months in prison and orders him to pay Rp 150 million in fines.”

Mien said that the aggravating factor in the case was that Puguh did not support the efforts of the government to fight corruption.

However, Mien added, Puguh was polite during the trial. “Puguh has never been convicted before, thereby providing for a degree of leniency,” she said.

Puguh told the panel of judges that he needed time to think first about whether he would file an appeal or not.

Puguh said after the trial that he was disappointed with the verdict, saying that there were many other actors involved in larger corruption cases who had been given lesser jail sentences.