"We give seven days for the defendants to take their stance regarding the verdict," said the chief of the panel of judges, Sobandi, in the Depok District Court on Wednesday.
The panel of judges also imposed on each Rp10 billion fine or eight more months in jail. Both accused said they would study the verdict and make their decision within three days.
The company`s finance manager, Siti Nuraida alias Kiki, was sentenced to 18 years in jail and five more months if a fine of Rp5 billion was not paid.
The prosecutors had sought 20 years in jail for both the First Travel President Director, Andika Surachman, and its Director, Anniesa Hasibuan, and one year and four months more in prison if they failed to pay the fine of Rp10 billion each.
"We have proven the violation of article 378 of the Criminal Code and article 3 of the law on money laundering with maximum jail sentence of 20 years and maximum fine," said prosecutor Heri Jerman. The sentence was lighter for Kiki who was not the key actor in the scam.
First Travel was established by Andika and his wife Anniesa in 2009. In July 2017, they were accused of causing a total financial loss of Rp905 billion for 63,310 Umrah pilgrims.
The prosecutor has lined up 96 witnesses for the trial, including two well-known artists Syahrini and Vicky Veranita Yudhasoka alias Vicky Shu.
Reported by Feru Lantara
(S022/INE/B003)
(T.SYS/A/KR-BSR/B003)
Reporter: antara
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
