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KPK seeks 15 years, Rp 94b in restitution
Former Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum faces a rough road ahead as Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors countered on Thursday all his claims of innocence with strong evidence, arguing that Anas should be imprisoned for 15 years for corruption and money laundering
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Former Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum faces a rough road ahead as Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors countered on Thursday all his claims of innocence with strong evidence, arguing that Anas should be imprisoned for 15 years for corruption and money laundering.
The prosecutors, who called on the judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court to strip Anas of his political rights, also demanded that the defendant return to the state embezzled funds worth Rp 94 billion (US$7.9 million) and $5.2 million, which prosecutors maintained Anas spent on his political ambitions.
The total figure is the amount of money he allegedly accepted for rigging state projects in favor of companies associated with him.
'The defendant continually made statements and behaved in a manner to obstruct the ongoing court proceedings,' KPK prosecutor Yudi Kristiana said as he read from the prosecution's 1,800-page final statement.
'If the defendant cannot afford to pay the sum, then his assets should be confiscated, or he can serve an additional four years behind bars if his assets are not sufficient to cover the entire amount,' Yudi added.
The KPK's prosecution team also wants the court to revoke the operational license of mining company PT Arina Kota Jaya for 5,000 to 10,000 hectares of land located in Bengalon and Kong Beng in East Kutai, East Kalimantan. They have argued that the company was one means used by Anas to channel his illicit gains.
Prosecutors maintain that in order to finance his own presidential bid in 2014, Anas allegedly joined forces with graft convict Muhammad Nazaruddin, former Democratic Party treasurer, to establish a company called PT Permai Group, which they used to harbor slush funds collected from state projects involving the Youth and Sports Ministry and the Education and Culture Ministry, as well as other projects from state institutions.
Anas was also charged with accepting Rp 2 billion from PT Adhi Karya, the company that was awarded the tender for the construction of the Rp 2.5 trillion Hambalang sports complex, supervised by the Youth and Sports Ministry. The money was used to pay all the accommodation costs for Anas' supporters ahead of the Democratic Party congress in 2010, during which he was elected chairman.
He also stands accused of spending a further Rp 84 billion and $36,070 from the Permai Group to fund activities carried out by his campaign team ahead of the congress.
'A total amount of Rp 30 billion and $5.2 million was spent during the congress for multiple purposes, including paying allowances to party members,' KPK prosecutors said.
According to the prosecution, Anas used some of the illicit funds to purchase land and property including three plots of land in East Jakarta and four in Yogyakarta, totaling $1.3 million and Rp 700 million, respectively.
Earlier during Anas' trial, his father-in-law, Attabik Ali, defended him by saying that the land in Yogyakarta was bought with $1 million in cash that he had saved since 1989.
'According to information from the US Justice Department, the $100 bills used to buy the plots of land in Yogyakarta were printed in 2006. So, [Attabik's] claim that the money dated back to 1989 was false,' Yudi said.
'Anas has not been able to provide evidence as to the source of his wealth,' he added.
Responding to the prosecutors' final statement, Anas said: 'It is certainly complete, but it lacks objectivity. It does not reflect justice or fairness.'
