JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – Panel of judges at the Jakarta Corruption court has Thursday (Jan. 14) sentenced the Regent of Empat Lawang Budi Antoni Aljufri to four years in prison after found guilty of bribing Akil Mochtar, the disgraced former Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court (MK).
In addition, panel of judges also ordered Budi to pay Rp150 million in fine or serving additional two months imprisonment.
Other than Budi, panel of judges also sentenced Budi’s wife Suzanna to two years in prison. Suzanna has been also ordered to pay Rp150 million in fine or serving additional two months imprisonment.
The verdict, however, is lighter than the demands from the Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) prosecutor team. Previously, the KPK’s prosecutor team demanded six years and four years imprisonment for Budi and his wife respectively.
The KPK’s prosecutor team also demanded Budi and his wife to pay Rp200 million in fine or serving additional two months imprisonment.
Budi and his wife have been found guilty for bribing Akil Mochtar with Rp10 billion dan US$500 thousand in the handling of Empat Lawang post-election dispute at the MK.
Budi leads Empat Lawang regency in South Sumatra since 2008. He got his second term as Empat Lawang Regent after winning local election in 2013 with support from Golkar and ten other political parties. Budi is Chairman of Golkar for Empat Lawang branch. (haryantosuharman@yosefardi.com)