A former agricultural minister has been sentenced to ten years in prison by Indonesia's anti-graft court after being found guilty of corruption-related extortion, abuse of power, and bribery concerning government contracts with private vendors.
Five other members of Widodo's Cabinet have been sentenced to prison in corruption cases, throwing doubt on his efforts to clean up the government as his tenure expires in October.
The court in Jakarta concluded that former Cabinet Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo abused his office to benefit himself and other officials.
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It also sentenced him to pay a fine of $18,500 (Ksh.2.4 million) and stated that he would be liable to an additional four months of incarceration if he did not pay.
Limpo was detained last October by the Corruption Eradication Commission, often known as the KPK. He has denied wrongdoing.
Several ministry officials testified throughout the trial that secretariats, directorates general, and agencies within the ministry were compelled to provide Limpo 20% of their budgets as if they were in debt to him and that he threatened their careers if they refused his requests.
The trial also found that vendors and suppliers were instructed to set aside money to meet the then-minister's requests.
Limpo spent the money on expensive automobiles, presents, and residences, chartering private aircraft, hosting family parties and gatherings, and going on religious pilgrimages.
Limpo also utilized the payments to distribute humanitarian supplies to catastrophe victims and his Nasdem political party.
Prosecutors demanded 12 years in jail for Limpo, claiming the legislator collected $2.7 million between January 2020 and October 2023.
In their indictment, prosecutors accused Limpo of instructing his two subordinates, Kasdi Subagyono and Muhammad Hatta, to collect the unlawful funds. In separate trials, they were sentenced to four years in jail.
During the trial, Limpo claimed he was a victim of political persecution and that his subordinates in his ministry had slandered him because they feared being replaced or removed from their positions.
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