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Former Social Affairs Minister Juliari Batubara has been sentenced to 12 years in jail for embezzling funds from the federal government’s COVID-19 reduction program. As harsh as it might sound, the punishment is infinitely extra forgiving than the dying penalty many Indonesians had hoped for the politician.
The Corruption Courtroom in Central Jakarta handed the sentence to Juliari at present, which is one yr longer than prosecutors from the Corruption Eradication Fee (KPK) had demanded.
Through the listening to, the court docket stated one of many extenuating elements it took in its consideration for Juliari’s sentence was that the politician had already been battered within the court docket of public opinion.
“The convict had suffered sufficient from being ridiculed, mocked, and insulted by the general public,” Choose Yusuf Pranowo said.
Conversely, what labored towards Juliari’s favor was that he didn’t come clean with his crime throughout the course of the investigation and trial, the court docket stated.
KPK arrested Juliari on suspicion of graft in December 2020. The previous cupboard minister was accused of skimming IDR10,000 (US$0.69) from every COVID-19 assist package deal, containing primary meals, distributed by 109 contractors within the Larger Jakarta Space from Could to December 2020.
Juliari personally acquired IDR32.48 billion (US$2.25 million) within the scheme and had spent some IDR15 billion (US$1.05 million) of the cash. He has been ordered by the court docket to return IDR14.5 billion (US$1 million) to the state inside a month in lieu of a further two months in jail.
Juliari is the fourth and newest cupboard minister beneath President Joko Widodo to be arrested for graft. Juliari’s case significantly ticked off anti-corruption activists and the general public generally for the heinous method wherein he stole at a time when the nation was affected by the pandemic, prompting calls to enact a regulation punishing those that steal from catastrophe assist with the death penalty.
Associated — Ministry officials rewarded themselves with karaoke for a hard day’s work, court hears in COVID-19 aid bribery case
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