Ex-Akil Aide Gets Five Years in Palembang Bribery Case

Jakarta Globe, Erwin Sihombing, Mar 06, 2015

Jakarta. The Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court on Thursday sentenced Muchtar Ependy, an ex-aide of the disgraced former Constitution Court chief justice Akil Mochtar, to five years in prison for giving false testimony to investigators.

“[The court] sentences the convict to five years in prison and to pay a Rp 200 million [$15,400] fine, or serve an additional three months in prison,” Judge Supriyono said on Thursday.

Muchtar, who helped transfer a Rp 19.8 billion alleged bribe from Palembang Mayor Romi Herton to Akil to settle a 2013 election dispute in the city in his favor, was proven guilty of providing distorted information during the investigation and trial. He had denied having been involved in the money transfer.

Muchtar was also found guilty of influencing a number of witnesses, including Romi; the mayor’s wife Masyito; the mayor’s driver Srino; and Iwan Sutaryadi, an official at the Jakarta branch of the West Kalimantan Development Bank, to give false statements about their — and his — involvement in the transaction.

The court cases against the mayor and his wife are continuing.

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors had demanded a seven-year prison term for Muchtar. His case is one of a number of election-rigging cases involving Akil, who has already been sentenced to life in prison for corruption.