"Sentenced the defendant to 10 years' imprisonment and a fine of Rp300 million. If not paid, subsidiary imprisonment of four months should be applicable," Chief Judge Rianto Adam Pontoh stated at the Jakarta Corruption Crime Court (Tipikor) on Thursday.
According to Pontoh, SYL was legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing criminal acts of corruption continuously, as in the first alternative indictment of the public prosecutor.
Thus, SYL violated Article 12, letter e in conjunction with Article 18 of Law (UU) Number 31 of 1999 concerning the Eradication of Corruption Crimes as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 jo. Article 55, paragraph (1) 1 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) jo. Article 64, paragraph (1) of the Criminal Code.
The panel of judges also imposed an additional penalty in the form of compensation to be paid by SYL amounting to Rp14.14 billion (US$843 thousand) and US$30 thousand, with a subsidiary imprisonment of two years on non-payment.
This sentence is lighter than the prosecutor's demands of 12 years' imprisonment and a fine of Rp500 million (US$29 thousand), with subsidiary imprisonment of six months over non-payment, as well as compensation of Rp44.27 billion (US$2.6 million) and US$30 thousand minus the amount of confiscated money.
In deciding the verdict, the panel of judges considered aggravating factors, namely the complicated information from SYL regarding his actions as a state administrator who failed to set a good example as a public official.
Moreover, SYL's conduct did not align with the government's program to eradicate criminal acts of corruption, collusion, and nepotism, and he, along with his family and colleagues, enjoyed the proceeds of criminal acts of corruption.
Meanwhile, the verdict on SYL was mitigated after considering factors such as his old age and his contribution as agriculture minister in handling the food crisis during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In this case, SYL was suspected of extorting or receiving gratuities, totaling Rp44.5 billion (US$2.6 million), in connection with a corruption case within the Ministry of Agriculture.
SYL executed the extortion along with Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture for the 2021-2023 period Kasdi Subagyono and Director of Agricultural Equipment and Machinery of the Ministry of Agriculture for 2023, Muhammad Hatta, who was also the defendant.
Both of them coordinated the money collection with echelon I officials and their staff, among other things, to pay for SYL's personal and family needs.
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Translator: Agatha Olivia, Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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