Jakarta – A prosecutor is seeking a sentence of at least five years in prison for gang leader Hercules Rosario Marshal, who is on trial for extortion.

"We are demanding defendant Hercules Rosario Marshal be sentenced to five years in jail," prosecutor Masiding said, as quoted by news portal Merdeka.com on Tuesday.

The prosecutor also wants the judges of the West Jakarta district court, where the trial is being held, to levy a Rp 50 million ($4,400) fine or and be given an additional six months in jail in lieu of the penalty.

Masiding accused Hercules of extorting Sukanto Tjakra, director of property developer Tjakra Multi Strategi, to hire Hercules's "security business".

On March 5, 2010, Sukanto and his business partner, Amin Maulana, gave Rp 400 million as requested by Hercules to provide protection over Sukanto's 6.9-hectare property in Kembangan, West Jakarta.

In December 2012, Hercules's henchmen asked for an additional Rp 250 million. Sukanto said that he would pay in installments, with Rp 50 million as the first payment. After that, he reported the incident to the police.

West Jakarta crime division head Adj. Sr. Comr. Hengki Haryadi said in December 2013 that Sukanto and Amin were not the only ones extorted by Hercules.

"Other businessmen who had business in that complex were extorted for up to Rp 1.5 billion," Hengki said, as quoted by news portal Tempo.co.

Prosecutor charged Hercules with Article 368 of the Criminal Code on extortion and Article 3 of the 2010 Law on Money Laundering. For the money laundering charge, Hercules allegedly transferred money from his illegal business activity to his wife Nia Dania in an attempt to prevent the police from investigating.

Hercules told Metrotvnews.com that he was innocent, and he would prepare his defense in Friday's trial. "If I am proven guilty, I'm ready to be sentenced. But public need to know that the legal case is fabricated just to trap me," Hercules said.

Hercules's lawyer, Slamet Yuwono, said that there was written a agreement between Hercules and Sukanto concerning the "security service", and claimed that it was not extortion.

Hercules was arrested again, on Aug. 3, for this extortion case after serving a four-month sentence for inciting riots.

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/prosecutor-seeks-5-year-jail-sentence-gang-leader-hercules/