“[The court] sentences defendant Anas Urbaningrum to eight years in prison, in addition to a fine of Rp 300 million [US$20,164], which, if not paid, will be replaced with three months’ imprisonment,” the court’s ruling on Wednesday read, as quoted by kompas.com.

The Jakarta Corruption Court initially sentenced Anas, who served as party chair from 2010 to 2013, to eight years in prison in 2014 for his involvement in the high-profile Hambalang Sports Complex graft case, a lighter sentence than the prosecutors’ demand of 15 years. The Supreme Court increased the punishment to 14 years in June 2015 after an appeal.

Despite the reduced prison sentence, the court still required Anas to pay Rp 57.5 billion and $5.26 million in restitution. He was also stripped of his right to run for public office for five years after serving his sentence.

Supreme Court spokesperson Andi Samsan Nganro, who was a member of the bench, said the court had approved Anas’ reasoning of “judicial error” in the previous sentence. In particular, Andi said the judges had convicted Anas under the wrong article of the 2001 Corruption Law.

Anas is one of many officials involved in the major corruption scandal surrounding the development of the Hambalang Sports Complex in Bogor, West Java, which reportedly cost the country about Rp 2.5 trillion.

In 2016, Jokowi insisted on moving forward with the graft-ridden project, promising to recoup resources lost to corruption. However, as of last year, the barren construction site has remained untouched, with no signs of ongoing development. (mfp)

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