JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – Panel of judges at the Bandung Corruption Court has sentenced Bogor Regent and PPP politician Rachmat Yasin to 5.5 years in prison for proven guilty in committing graft related to forest area conversion scandal implicating PT Bukit Jonggol Asri (BJA) and Sentul City owner Kwee Cahyadi Kumala aka Swie Teng.
In addition, panel of judges presided by Barita Lumban Gaol also ordered Rachmat to pay Rp300 million in fine or serving additional three months imprisonment. The verdict was read in the trial held on Thursday (Nov. 27).
The verdict, however, is lighter than the prosecutor’s demand of 7.5 years imprisonment. The prosecutor previously asked panel of judges to revoke Rachmat’s constitutional rights to be elected as public official.
In BJA bribery scandal, KPK had also named Sentul City Boss Kwee Cahyadi Kumala and BJA’s Director Francis Xaverius Yohan Yap as suspects in the case.
KPK has also examined Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) Zulkifli Hasan as a witness in the case. Zulkifli, a politician from PAN, has been examined for three times in his capacity as former Minister of Forestry.
Zulkifli was also examined in another forest area conversion bribery scandal implicating Annas Maamun, Riau non-active Governor and Golkar Party key leader. (haryantosuharman@yosefardi.com)