T

he Jakarta Corruption Court on Wednesday sentenced a confidant of former Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum to six years in prison for his role in the Rp 2.5 trillion (US$192 million) Hambalang sports complex graft case.

The confidant, Machfud Suroso, who is the director of Hambalang subcontracting company PT Dutasari Citralaras, followed in the footsteps of his boss, Anas, who was sentenced in September to seven years in prison.

The graft resulted in Rp 468 million in state losses, part of which was funneled to the Democratic Party'€™s coffers to fund its national congress in 2010.

The panel of judges ordered the businessman, who is reportedly a relative of Anas'€™ wife, Athiyyah Laila, to return Rp 36 billion, the amount he collected from the Rp 185 billion contract received by Dutasari, to the state.

'€œOur examination into the court evidence and testimonies has determined defendant Machfud Suroso is guilty of corruption with other parties in the case,'€ presiding judge Sinung Hermawan said, reading out the verdict at the court.

Should he fail to pay the restitution within the next month, Machfud'€™s assets will be confiscated by the state, Sinung said. '€œHis assets are not enough to reach the amount of the restitution then he will have to serve an additional two years behind bars as substitution.'€

Machfud was also ordered to pay a fine of Rp 200 million or serve another two months in prison.

The six-year prison term is lower than the seven-and-a-half years demanded earlier by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors.

'€œThe defendant'€™s company received a total of 185 billion from Hambalang'€™s work, and he spent only Rp 89 billion for the project, while the rest of the money was spent to enrich himself and other parties in the case,'€ judge M. Muchlis said.

The construction of the Hambalang complex was one of several multibillion rupiah projects rigged by Anas between 2009 and 2012 to fund his political ambitions to become party chairman in 2010. Anas had also planned to use some of the money to finance a presidential run last year.

The court found Machfud guilty of violating Article 3 of the 1999 Corruption Law, which carries a maximum 20 years'€™ imprisonment.

Machfud said he would use the seven days given by the court to discuss with his team of lawyers about whether to file an appeal with the Jakarta High Court. '€œI will think about it,'€ Machfud said at the court. KPK prosecutors have also said they were also considering an appeal.

In July 2014, the antigraft body said it would name Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) treasurer Olly Dondokambey a suspect in the case after Machfud'€™s trial. As of today his status remains a witness in the case.

Onlly is said to have received
Rp 2.5 billion from the graft scheme while serving as the budgetary commissioner at the House of Representatives.

In addition to Anas, former youth and sports minister Andi Mallarangeng, who is a Democratic Party politician, was also sentenced to four years for his role in the Hambalang scandal. Andi'€™s office was in charge of the project and was found guilty of negligence for its inability to stop Democratic Party members from rigging the multi-trillion rupiah project.