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Appeals court increases ex-minister Idrus Marham's sentence to five years
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Powerless: Golkar politician Idrus Marham leaves a hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court. The former social affairs minister was found guilty of accepting a bribe of Rp 2.25 billion (US$159,506) in relation to the construction of a coal-fired steam power plant in Riau. (Antara/Indrianto Eko Suwarso)
T
he Jakarta High Court has increased the prison sentence of Golkar Party politician and former social affairs minister Idrus Marham to five years’ imprisonment, months after he was found guilty of accepting bribes from a businessman to finance his failed bid to become the party’s leader.
The appellate verdict, handed down on Tuesday, upholds the Jakarta Corruption Court’s ruling that found Idrus guilty of bribery but adds two additional years to the three-year prison sentence handed down by the primary court in April.
“The defendant, Idrus Marham, is being sentenced to five years in prison,” the ruling read as quoted by kompas.com via the official website of the Central Jakarta District Court on Thursday.
The appeals court also increased the fine for Idrus from Rp 150 million (US$10,729) to Rp 200 million.
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutor Lie Putra Setiawan applauded the high court’s ruling, saying that the five-year prison sentence was what antigraft prosecutors had demanded during the trial.
The Jakarta Corruption Court in April found Idrus guilty of accepting Rp 2.25 billion (US$159,688) in bribes from businessman Johannes Budisutrisno Kotjo, one of the shareholders at energy firm BlackGold Natural Resources Limited.
The bribery case, which also implicated Golkar politician Eni Maulani Saragih – who was sentenced to six years in prison for accepting illicit funds – is related to Johannes’ attempt to win the Riau-1 coal-fired power plant construction project. (dmy/afr)
