In 2014, people applauded the Jakarta Corruption Court for sentencing former Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar to lifetime imprisonment for several bribery counts and money laundering.

But now, three years later, the public seems to not be impressed with the court for handing down a sentence lighter than that demanded by the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) prosecutors for another former court justice, Patrialis Akbar, who has been found guilty of bribery.

A panel of judges sentenced on Monday Patrialis to eight years in prison and a Rp 300 million (US$22,500) fine for accepting bribes from businessman Basuki Hariman to favor the latter in a judicial review petition against the Animal Husbandry Law.

“The defendant is also required to return $10,000 and Rp 4 million he obtained while committing his crimes,” presiding judge Nawawi Pamulango read out the verdict on Monday.

The verdict was lighter than the 12-and-a-half years sought by KPK prosecutors, along with Rp 500 million in fines, for Patrialis, a former National Mandate Party (PAN) politician known for his lackluster performance while serving as law and human rights minister.

The bench handed down the verdict based on the fact that Patrialis accepted $10,000 and Rp 4 million from Basuki, ruling out the allegation that the beef importer had promised an additional Rp 2 billion in exchange for a favorable ruling in the petition, which was revealed by Patrialis’ aide, Kamaludin, in earlier hearings.

“I guess the bench thinks it is not necessary to prove the promise as they have proven the bribery, which is considered sufficient in the case,” KPK prosecutor Lie Putra Setiawan said after the hearing.

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