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Corruptors get lighter sentences this year
Graft defendants on average get only two years and one month in prison, according to the Indonesian Corruption Watchâs (ICW) observations from the past six months â shorter than the last yearâs figures, which, on average, were two years and nine months in prison
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G
raft defendants on average get only two years and one month in prison, according to the Indonesian Corruption Watch's (ICW) observations from the past six months ' shorter than the last year's figures, which, on average, were two years and nine months in prison.
A member of ICW's law and court monitoring division, Ardila Caesar, said on Tuesday that his organization has monitored 193 court hearings involving 230 corruption defendants in first level courts, appeals courts and the Supreme Court, including hearings of the judicial review cases.
'The judges handed down 25 month [prison sentences] or [sentences of] two years and one month for punishment on average,' Ardila was quoted by Antara as saying.
He further said that as many as 163 defendants received punishments between one and four years, categorized as light sentences, 12 defendants received punishments between four and 10 years, categorized as medium sentences, and 10 defendants received punishments longer than ten years, categorized as heavy sentences.
As many as 35 graft defendants were acquitted by judges in first level courts and three others were acquitted by the Supreme Court, according to Ardila, adding that in the same period last year, only 20 defendants were acquitted.
Meanwhile, ICW law and court monitoring coordinator Emerson Yuntho said that the trend of light sentences for corruption defendants started with demands made by the prosecutors.
'Based on ICW records, the prosecutors only demanded three years and six months on average, which could be categorized as light demands on graft suspects,' according to Emerson.
'It means that since the beginning, prosecutors have demanded judges give light punishments to graft suspects,' he said, adding that judges tend to give two thirds of what is demanded by prosecutors.(bbn)(+++)
