Jakarta – Former Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari was released from prison on Saturday after completing her four-year jail sentence for corruption.

Siti, who served during the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono presidency, was convicted of taking Rp 1.9 billion ($129,000) in bribe concerning a government medical equipment procurement project in 2005.

She became a suspect in 2017 – three years after Susilo left office – following a series of trials involving other suspects in the same case and was convicted in June that year. Her sentence included a total of Rp 750 million in fines.

"Siti Fadilah, 69, was released today because she has completed the prison term and repaid to the state the fine and other financial penalties attached to her punishment," Rika Aprianti, a spokeswoman for the Correctional Directorate of the Justice Ministry, said in a statement.

Siti has served three years and four months in prison and received sentence cuts for good behavior. She left the Pondok Bambu Women's Prison in East Jakarta accompanied by her daughter.

Siti is among five ministers in the Susilo cabinet who have been convicted of corruption. The other four included former youth affairs and sports minister Andi Mallarangeng; former tourism minister Jero Wacik, who has also served as the energy minister; former cooperative and small and medium enterprises minister Suryadharma Ali; and former social affairs minister Bachtiar Camsyah.

Former state-owned enterprises minister Dahlan Iskan was also found guilty of corruption but his conviction was later overturned by the Supreme Court.

During the current presidency of Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, Youth Affairs and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi was sentenced to seven years in June for taking bribe.

Imam is the second minister in Jokowi's cabinet to be implicated in corruption after Idrus Marham was forced to step down as social affairs minister earlier. However, the case against Idrus, who also has been convicted, was unrelated to his job as minister.

Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/former-health-minister-siti-fadilah-completes-jail-ter