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orruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors on Monday demanded a six-year prison term for Papua'€™s Biak Numfor regent, Yesaya Sombuk, in a graft case centering on a construction project at the Disadvantaged Regions Ministry worth Rp 20 billion (US$1.6 million).

Prosecutors said evidence had shown that the regent received $100,000 in bribes from businessman Teddy Renyut, in exchange for securing the Rp 20 billion embankment project that had been earmarked for the regency by the ministry.

'€œThe defendant knew that the money was given to him, in his capacity as regent, so that he would award the sea embankment project to Teddy,'€ prosecutor Gina Saraswati read in the sentence demand at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Monday.

KPK prosecutors also demanded that the panel of judges take away Yesaya'€™s political rights.

In a separate trial on Monday, KPK prosecutors also demanded the panel of judges at the court sentence Teddy to four years in prison in the case.

KPK prosecutors said that Yesaya accepted bribes on two different occasions, $63,000 on June 11 and another $37,000 on June 16, when KPK prosecutors arrested him allegedly cutting a deal with Teddy at a hotel in Jakarta.

KPK prosecutors also demanded the panel of judges order Yesaya to pay an Rp 250 million fine or serve another five months behind bars if he fails to do so.

With regard to Teddy, the prosecutors demanded he pay an Rp 150 million fine or serve an additional three months behind bars.

To secure the project, prosecutors added, Teddy also actively lobbied a number of officials at the ministry, which is led by National Awakening Party (PKB) politician Helmy Faisal Zani.

'€œHe lobbied a number of officials at the ministry, including M. Nurdin, Suprayoga Hadi, Muhammad Yasin, Hemly'€™s advisor, Sabilillah Ardi, and Aditya El Akbar, who is former special staff at the ministry,'€ prosecutor Antonius Budi Satria said.

Earlier, the court revealed that Teddy gave cash to a number of officials at the ministry, including Helmy, to secure more projects at the ministry.

The total bribes paid to the officials was Rp 15 billion, including Rp 290 million to pay for Helmy and his wife Santi Nisa Ihksan'€™s tickets to Medina in Saudi Arabia.

Teddy is the president director of Papua-based company PT Papua Indah Perkasa, which handles a number of construction projects in Papua commissioned by the ministry.

'€œArdi made a verbal request. He then threatened to stop helping me secure projects from the ministry, including the sea embankment project, if I did not comply. I subsequently found out that [the tickets I paid for] were for the minister and his wife,'€ Teddy said during Yesaya'€™s hearing on Sept. 15.

'€” JP/Haeril Halim