Ghina Ghaliya, Jakarta – The Jakarta Corruption Court has handed down a six-year prison sentence for former General Elections Commission (KPU) commissioner Wahyu Setiawan after finding him guilty of accepting bribes in connection with an election dispute.
"Wahyu Setiawan has been proven guilty of committing corruption as suspected," presiding judge Susanti Arsi Wibawani said while reading out the verdict on Monday.
The sentence was lighter than eight years of imprisonment demanded by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors. The judges also ordered Wahyu to pay a fine of Rp 150 million (US$10,240).
In its verdict, the court did not strip Wahyu of his political rights, but the bench denied his request to be a justice collaborator in the case.
Also on Monday, the court handed down a four-year prison sentence for former Elections Supervisory Agency (Bawaslu) member Agustiani Tio Fridelina and ordered him to pay the same fine as Wahyu.
The two convicts were charged under Article 12 of the 2001 Corruption Law, which prohibits state officials and civil servants from accepting gifts.
Both Wahyu and Agustiani were found guilty of accepting around $47,350 in bribes from Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician Saeful Bahri in exchange for helping PDI-P cadre Harun Masiku secure a seat to replace a deceased politician in the House of Representatives.
Apart from Harun's case, Wahyu was also indicted for allegedly accepting bribes from West Papua Governor Dominggus Mandacan in connection with the selection of provincial general elections commission members last year.
Saeful, a former staff member of PDI-P secretary-general Hasto Kristiyanto, was sentenced by the court in May to one year and eight months in prison and ordered to pay a Rp 150 million fine for his involvement in the case.
Meanwhile, Harun is believed to have fled the country shortly after he was named a suspect and currently remains at large. The KPK recently filed a request with the Law and Human Rights Ministry to extend an overseas travel ban on the suspect.