T

he Jakarta Corruption Court on Wednesday sentenced recaptured graft suspect Anggoro Widjojo to five years behind bars for bribing former forestry minister MS Kaban to secure a Rp 180 billion (US$15 million) project in 2007.

'€œOur examination has found the defendant guilty of corruption,'€ presiding judge Nani Indrawati said, reading out the verdict at the court on Wednesday.

Anggoro must also pay a Rp 250 million fine or serve another two months should he fail to do so.

He fled the country in 2008 and was recaptured in China earlier this year. A five-year prison term was the maximum sentence that the panel of judges could rule under Article 5 of the 2001 Corruption Law, which sets out the penalties for those convicted of bribing state officials.

The Forestry Ministry'€™s Integrated Radio Communication System (SKRT) project was frozen in 2004, but after Kaban assumed leadership of the ministry, the project was rebooted in 2007 and got the go-ahead from House of Representatives Commission IV overseeing plantations, due to bribes that Anggoro paid to ministry officials, including Kaban, and then lawmakers from House Commission IV.

The panel of judges said Kaban asked for money from Anggoro several times in exchange for sending the project proposal to the Finance Ministry for approval.

According to the verdict, on Aug. 6, 2007, Kaban texted Anggoro: '€œPlease come to my official residence now and can you please bring the $15,000.

'€œTen days later, Kaban again texted the defendant: '€˜This is an emergency, can you send [me] $10,000? Just like the other day, bring it to my house'€™,'€ read the verdict.

On Feb. 13, 2008, Anggoro instructed his driver, Isdriatmoko, to deliver $20,000 to Kaban via the latter'€™s driver, Muhammad Yusuf.

Then, on Feb. 25, 2008, Kaban asked Anggoro to provide him with traveler'€™s checks worth Rp 50 million.

'€œThe traveler'€™s checks were given to Kaban at the Forestry Ministry,'€ says the verdict.

Kaban also asked Anggoro to buy two elevators worth S$58,581 ($46,954), and pay the Rp 200 million costs to install them in the Menara Dakwah building where the Crescent Star Party (PBB) activities were conducted.

Lawmakers accepting bribes from Anggoro have previously been sentenced by the Jakarta Corruption Court, including former House Commission IV chairman Yusuf Erwin Faisal, who was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in 2009; former Golkar Party lawmaker Azwar Chesputra; former PBB lawmaker Hilman Indra; and former Golkar legislator Fahri Andi Leluasa, who was given a four-year prison sentence in 2010.

Current Agriculture Minister Suswono of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), who was a Commission IV lawmaker when the bribery took place, also enjoyed a slice of Rp 50 million from Anggoro, but he later returned the money to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Suswono cannot legally be prosecuted in the case as he returned the money within the grace period of 30 days.

The KPK said the judges'€™ legal conclusion that Kaban had asked for money from Anggoro in relation to the SKRT project was strong evidence to prosecute him.

'€œThe verdict gives strong grounds for the KPK to step up its investigation [to pursue other perpetrators] in the case,'€ KPK deputy chairman Busyro Muqoddas told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

The KPK slapped Kaban and his driver Yusuf with travel bans in February this year. Almost all individuals with travel bans have later been named suspects by the antigraft body.