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Prosecutor in Djoko Tjandra faces 4-year sentence

Pinangki, a suspended AGO prosecutor, has been accused of accepting US$500,000 in bribes from the graft convict.

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Wed, January 13, 2021

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Prosecutor in Djoko Tjandra faces 4-year sentence

T

he Attorney General’s Office (AGO) is seeking a four-year prison sentence and a fine of Rp 500 million (US$35,254) for suspended prosecutor Pinangki Sirna Malasari for her alleged acceptance of bribes from graft convict Djoko Tjandra.

Prosecutor Yanuar Utomo told the courtroom that it had been proven that Pinangki had accepted bribes, laundered money and conspired to influence the Supreme Court to acquit Djoko.

“We demand that the panel of judges declare the defendant guilty, as proven during the trial,” Yanuar said during a hearing at the Central Jakarta District Court on Monday, as quoted by kompas.com.

He added that Pinangki, who had worked as a law enforcement officer, had gone against the government’s efforts to eradicate corruption, collusion and nepotism.

Prosecutors accused Pinangki of accepting bribes amounting to US$500,000 from Djoko in exchange for conspiring to secure his acquittal on corruption charges at the Supreme Court. The court found Djoko guilty in 2009 for his involvement in the high-profile Bank Bali graft case.

Pinangki allegedly met with Djoko in 2019 to draft a plan to secure the acquittal. The plan would involve Attorney General ST Burhanuddin and former Supreme Court chief justice Hatta Ali, as well as NasDem Party politician Andi Irfan Jaya, who acted as a middleman in the scheme.

Read also: Attorney General, former Supreme Court chief mentioned in indictment against Pinangki

At the time, Djoko was on the run, seeking to avoid a prison sentence ordered a decade earlier. He fled the country a day before his conviction in 2009. The police arrested the businessman in Malaysia in July of last year and he was returned to Indonesia in custody.

Pinangki allegedly used the bribe to buy a luxury car, rent apartments in South Jakarta and New York City, pay credit card bills and pay beautician fees in the United States.

The trial was adjourned until Jan. 18, when it would hear Pinangki’s plea.

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) researcher Kurnia Ramadhana said on Tuesday that the sentence demanded was too light. “The ICW thinks Pinangki should have been charged with the maximum prison sentence of 20 years,” he said as quoted by kompas.com.

Read also: Djoko Tjandra admits to bribing two police generals

Kurnia said prosecutors should have demanded a heavier sentence because Pinangki had neglected her duty to arrest Djoko. He went on to say that Pinangki had tarnished the AGO’s image by committing three crimes – bribery, conspiracy and money laundering – at once.

“If a defendant commits multiple crimes, they should receive a heavier sentence. But the prosecutors did not consider that,” Kurnia said.

He claimed that Pinangki’s testimony during the trial was inconsistent with the facts provided by the prosecutor.

The ICW has urged the court to order a heavier sentence for Pinangki. “The verdict will reflect the court’s commitment to eradicating corruption,” Kurnia said. (ami)

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