T

he Jakarta Corruption Court on Thursday sentenced businessman Muhtar Ependy to five years in prison for perjury and encouraging other witnesses to perjure during the trial of former Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar in 2013.

The sentence is two years less than the seven-year jail term demanded by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors, who charged Muhtar with Article 21 of the 2001 Corruption Law, which carries a maximum 12 years for a citizen lying under oath.

The panel of judges also ordered Muhtar to pay a fine of Rp 200 million (US$15,300) for his offences or to serve a further three months behind bars.

The court found Muhtar guilty of committing perjury and encouraging other witnesses to give false testimony to prevent his own implication in the bribery case implicating Akil, who has been sentenced to life behind bars for accepting bribes from scores of regional heads with regard to the adjudication of election disputes at the Constitutional Court.

Muhtar served as a go-between, delivering Rp 20 billion in bribe money to Akil from then Palembang mayor Romi Herton, who, along with his wife Masyito, was charged with bribery by the KPK in May 2014.

Muhtar instructed Masyito to testify during Akil'€™s trial that they were not acquainted. Muhtar also instructed Masyito to confess that she had not given the money to Muhtar at the Jakarta branch of Bank Kalbar.

Muhtar also intimidated his driver, identified as Srino, demanding he give false testimony in the same trial, saying he had never driven him to Akil'€™s house in South Jakarta to deliver money from Romi.

The businessman further forced officials at Bank Kalbar to not say a word about his encounter with Masyito at the bank when transferring the money to Akil.

'€œThe defendant also lied when he claimed that the Rp 15 billion [of the Rp 20 billion bribe money] he transferred at the bank was money he earned from his business,'€ judge Alexander said in the court.

Responding to the sentence, Muhtar and his team of lawyers said that he was considering filing an appeal against the verdict with the Jakarta High Court.

'€œWe will make the decision whether to appeal within the seven days given after the reading of today'€™s verdict,'€ Muhtar said.

In a related graft case, in addition to their corruption charges, Romi and Masyito have also been charged with perjury.

Last week, KPK prosecutors also asked the panel of judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court to sentence Romi and Masyito, respectively, to nine and six years behind bars in the bribery and perjury cases.

The couple is slated to appear in court next week to hear the reading of their final verdict.

Earlier, the KPK had also named an adjutant to graft convict and former Riau governor Rusli Zainal, Said Faisal, a perjury suspect.

Faisal was named a suspect in February after he was found to have given false testimony during the trial of Rusli, who in March was sentenced to 14 years in prison for his role in the Pelalawan forestry permit and Riau National Games (PON) graft cases. Later, Faisal was sentenced to seven years in prison for perjury and corruption.