Ex-minister sentenced to prison for receiving bribe

Indonesia’s former Social Minister, Idrus Marham, on Tuesday received a three-year sentence after being convicted for receiving bribe amounting to 169, 600 dollars.

Marham received the bribe from a businessman in order to obtain a power plant project, NAN reports.

In addition to the jail term, he was also fined 10, 629 dollars, replaceable with two months additional jail term if he is unable to pay the fine.

The prosecution had earlier demanded for a 5-year sentence and 21,258 dollars fine.

It told the court that Marham received the bribes from the businessman Johannes Kotjo, through Eni Maulani Saragih, former deputy chairman of Commission VII in the parliament that supervises government’s policies in energy, research and environment.

In order to get the power plant project, Kotjo gave a total amount of 336, 500 dollars to Eni, who subsequently transferred part of the bribe to Marham.

The bribe was received by Marham during his service term as social minister from January to August 2018.

The power plant project was designated as part of the nation’s mega energy project to add 10,000 MW of power supply across the country.

Marham was arrested by Indonesia’s anti-graft commission of KPK in August, shortly after he resigned from his ministerial post.

He was the Secretary General of Golkar party, an influential political party that has significant seats in the parliament, when he served as the social minister.

Saragih and Kotjo have both received their sentences in previous trials.

Saragih was sentenced to years’ imprisonment, while Kotjo bagged four and half years in jail.

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