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rosecutors sought on Thursday a 15-year prison sentence and a fine of Rp 750 million (US$77,319) for suspended Semarang Corruption Court ad hoc judge Kartini Juliana Magdalena Marpaung for allegedly receiving a bribe.

“The defendant has legally and convincingly been proven to have taken a bribe to lighten the sentence of M Yaeni,” prosecutor Pulung Rinandoro told Semarang Corruption Court on Thursday, which was presided over by judge Ifa Sudewi with member judges Suyadi and Kalimatul Jumroh.

The prosecutors said Kartini had violated Article 12 (c) of Law No. 31/1999 on corruption eradication as amended by Law No. 20/2001 and Article 55 (1) of the Criminal Code.

“As a judge the defendant should have been the spearhead of corruption eradication efforts and a model for the community and not commiting corruption,” Pulung said.

He added that it was Kartini who had come up with the initiative of asking Yaeni’s family for Rp 150 million in return for a light sentence of one year.

Factors considered aggravating included Kartini actively participating in the alleged bribery, her neither admitting nor regretting her wrongdoing and that she had tarnished the reputation of the court institution.

Kartini was caught red-handed receiving Rp 150 million from Yaeni’s sister Sri Dartutik through Pontianak Corruption Court judge Heru Kisbandono.

Sri Dartutik has been sentenced to four years in prison while Heru is facing 10 years in the same bribery case.

Kartini has long been known as a judge who often acquitted corruption defendants. Since she was assigned as an ad hoc judge at the Semarang Corruption Court, it is recorded she had acquitted five corruption defendants.

The acquitted defendants were former Sragen regent Untung Wiyono who was allegedly involved in a corruption case worth Rp 11.2 billion from the Sragen regency budget; Suyatno in a corruption case involving the 2003-2004 Kendal regency budget; Heru Jatmiko in a corruption case involving the Kendal regency budget; Yanuelva Etliana in a corruption case at Bank Jateng worth Rp 39 billion; and Teguh Tri Murdiono in a corruption case related to the purchase of transmitters for state-owned radio station RRI in Purwokerto.

Kartini’s lawyer Yulianis Sukarjo said the sentence sought by prosecutors was too high because Heru Kisbandono who delivered the money to Kartini had only faced 10 years.

The trial was adjourned until March 26 to hear the defendant’s defense statement.