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Papua cop sentenced to 15 years for money laundering

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Jakarta Globe - September 18, 2014

Jakarta – Indonesia's Supreme Court has increased the prison sentence handed to a Papua-based police officer found guilty of laundering up to Rp 1.5 trillion ($132 million) in criminal proceeds to 15 years.

Adj. First Insp. Labora Sitorus, who was found guilty of money laundering in May, had his sentenced increased on Wednesday following two appeals by prosecutors concerned about earlier – more lenient – sentences. "The court granted the prosecutors' appeal and rejected the defendant's plea," the court announced on its official website.

Labora, who was allegedly known as a "cash machine" for higher-ranking police in West Papua province, was convicted for illegal logging and fuel hoarding earlier this year.

In February, he was handed a two-year sentence and Rp 50 million ($4,154) fine by a court in Sorong, Papua. Prosecutors had sought 15 years jail time for the associated money laundering charge, but it was dismissed.

After an appeal to Papua's High Court the sentence was revised, and Labora sentenced to eight years in May after being found guilty on the money laundering charges. Prosecutors, who still deemed the sentence too lenient, filed a final appeal to the Supreme Court, which was ruled on Wednesday.

Labora was arrested in Jakarta in May last year after 400,000 kiloliters of subsidized fuel was seized from a boat registered in his name. In total around a million liters of fuel inked to the officer was confiscated.

The disgraced officer was also found to be involved in illegal logging. A total of 115 containers, which stored 2,264 cubic meters of rare tropical hardwood merbau, were found at Surabaya's Tanjung Perak Port and were also traced back to the officer.

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/papuan-cop-sentenced-15-years-money-laundering/

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