Prosecutors Seek 16 Years Imprisonment for Politician in Graft Case

Former House Speaker Setya Novanto speaks to journalists.

Jakarta, MINA – Indonesian prosecutors on Thursday sought a 16-year jail sentence for a former parliament speaker on trial for alleged involvement in a massive corruption case, Vanguard reported.

Setya Novanto is accused of receiving more than 7.4 million dollars in kickbacks for garnering parliamentary support for a 440-million-dollar government project to issue electronic ID cards in 2011.

Novanto was then the head of the Golkar party’s parliamentary faction.

The seasoned politician was arrested in November by the country’s anti-corruption commission (KPK) after evading questioning for weeks, claiming ill health.

At Thursday’s hearing, prosecutors in Jakarta’s anti-corruption court said Novanto should be jailed for 16 years and pay a fine of one billion rupiah (70,000 dollars).

They also recommended that judges order him to return 7.43 million dollars in losses to the state or serve an additional three years in prison.

The prosecution said he should additionally be barred from holding public office for five years. A verdict is expected in a few weeks. (T/RS5/RS1)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)