Joko Faces another Four Years in Jail

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

The convict of the Bank Bali case, Joko Soegiarto Tjandra, awaits the presence of the Panel of Judges for Corruption Crime (Tipikor) at the Central Jakarta District Court, Thursday (4/3/2021).

Joko S Tjandra is sentenced to 4 years in prison for conspiring to secure his acquittal from the Supreme Court as well as removing his name from Law and Human Rights Ministry Immigration Directorate General’s wanted list.

JAKARTA, KOMPAS — Prosecutors said Joko Soegiarto Tjandra was guilty of giving bribes in his effort to secure an acquittal from the Supreme Court (MA) and to remove his name from the list of wanted persons in the immigration system. The prosecutors demanded four years in prison in this case. In addition, the prosecutor asked the judge to reject Joko Tjandra\'s request to be appointed as a justice collaborator.

The prosecutors read out the charges against Joko Tjandra during a trial at the Corruption Court in Jakarta on Thursday (4/3/2021). Prosecutors Ruri F. , Andi Setyawan and Nurhimawan read the demand. The trial was chaired by the head of the panel of judges, Muhammad Damis.

"The defendant Joko Tjandra has been proven to have given money to state officials or civil servants and has been proven to have conducted evil conspiracy to commit corruption," said the prosecutor.

At that time, he filed a review over the court’s decision in the Bank Bali graft case.

For Joko Tjandra, this demand is the second in a series of cases related to his return to Indonesia in 2020 as a fugitive. At that time, he filed a review over the court’s decision in the Bank Bali graft case.

In December 2020, Joko Tjandra was sentenced to two years and 6 months in prison in a case related to fake travel documents to facilitate his trips from Jakarta and Pontianak, West Kalimantan in 2020. The sentence was more severe than the two years demanded by the prosecutors. At present, he is also serving a 2-year prison sentence in the Bank Bali graft case.

Giving bribes

In the trial, the prosecutor said that Joko Tjandra was proven to have paid bribes worth US$ 500,000 (about Rp 7 billion ) to prosecutor Pinangki Sirna Malasari through the late Herriyadi and Andi Irfan Jaya. The money was part of the advance payment to secure his acquittal on corruption charges at the Supreme Court through the Attorney General\'s Office (AGO).

Kompas/Wawan H Prabowo

Andi Irfan Jaya

Joko Tjandra was also considered to have been proven guilty of giving Sing$ 200,000 and US$370,000 (around Rp 7.2 billion) in bribes to Inspector General Napoleon Bonaparte through Tommy Sumardi to remove his name from the wanted list (DPO) in the immigration system. Also through Tommy too, Joko Tjandra was proven to have given US$100,000 or about Rp 1.4 billion to Brigadier General (Pol) Prasetijo Utomo.

Evil consensus

In addition, from a series of meetings with Pinangki, Andi Irfan, and Anita Kolopaking, Joko Tjandra was also proven to have promised to give US$10 million or around Rp 140 billion to officials at the AGO and

the Supreme Court. The promise was made to secure an acquittal from the Supreme Court so that Joko Tjandra did not need to serve a 2-year prison sentence related to the Bank Bali graft.

Joko Tjandra is considered to have violated Article 5 Paragraph 1 Letter a of Law Number 31 Year 1999 as amended by Law No. 20/2001 on Corruption Eradication in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph 1-1 of the Criminal Code (KUHP) in conjunction with Article 65 Paragraphs (1) and (2) of the Criminal Code.

Kompas/Heru Sri Kumoro

Pinangki Sirna Malasari

In addition, it violates Article 15 in conjunction with Article 13 Paragraph (1) Letter a of the Law on the Eradication of Corruption in conjunction with Article 55 Paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code. For this, the prosecutor asked the panel of judges to sentence Joko Tjandra to 4 years in prison and a fine of Rp 100 million or addition of six months in prison. In addition, the public prosecutor asked the panel of judges to reject Joko Tjandra\'s request to become a justice collaborator because he is considered the main actor in both cases.

Regarding the demand, Joko Tjandra or his legal advisers said they would appeal.

As for the case in securing the acquittal from the Supreme Court for Joko Tjandra, Pinangki and Andi have been sentenced by the Jakarta Corruption Court. Pinangki was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined Rp 600 million, more severe than the prosecutor\'s demand of four years in prison and a fine of Rp 500 million. Meanwhile, Andi was sentenced to six years in prison and a fine of Rp 100 million, more severe than the prosecutor\'s demand of 2 years and six months in prison.

KEJAKSAAN AGUNG

Anita Kolopaking

In the case related to the removal of Joko Tjandra\'s name from the DPO list in the immigration system, Tommy was sentenced to two years in prison, more severe than the prosecutor\'s demand of one year and 6 months imprisonment. (NAD)

(This article was translated by Hendarsyah Tarmizi).