Jakarta, IO – Former chairman of the Democratic Party Anas Urbaningrum was released from Sukamiskin Penitentiary Center in Bandung, West Java, Tuesday (11/4). He was sentenced for corruption in the development of Hambalang National Sports Development, Education and Training Center. The mega project has been stalled ever since, reported CNN Indonesia.
The case also incriminated former Democratic Party Treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin. While on the run, Nazar revealed that Anas also received funds embezzled from the project.
According to Nazar, the money was funneled to Anas to fund his campaign to win the chairmanship of the Democratic Party at the congress in Bandung in May 2010. After almost a year investigating the allegation, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) detained him in January 2014.
The Jakarta Corruption Court initially sentenced Anas to eight years in prison at the end of September 2014. He was proven to have received Rp20 billion. The sentence against Anas was lighter than 15 years plus compensation payment of US$5.2 million (Rp94 billion) demanded by the prosecution.
Unsatisfied with the decision, Anas appealed to the Jakarta High Court and managed to reduce his sentence to seven years. KPK then filed an appeal at the Supreme Court (MA) and Anas’s sentence was increased to 14 years.
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Four years into serving his jail term, Artidjo Alkostar, one of the judges in his case, retired in May 2018. Anas submitted a case review petition at MA. Anas accused Artidjo of not being credible when he increased his sentence to 14 years.
The attempt was successful. MA reduced Anas’s sentence from 14 years to eight years. However, the judge imposed an additional penalty in the form of revocation of political rights for five years after he serves his sentence in full. (un)