Akil charged over majority of kickbacks

JAKARTA.  Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors, on Thursday read an indictment accusing former Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar of receiving the bulk of kickbacks from 15 regional election disputes.

Akil, for example, had been accused of accepting a bribe of Rp 3 billion (US$253,700) when handling the Gunung Mas regency election disputes. He was also charged with accepting Rp 1 billion in the Lebak regency election dispute as well as Rp 10 billion and US$500,000 from the Empat Lawang regency election dispute.

The list went on: Prosecutors also charged him with accepting, among others, Rp 19.88 billion in the Palembang city election dispute and Rp 500 million from the South Lampung election dispute.

“We highly suspect the money was given to influence the verdict,” prosecutor Pulung Rinandoro said on Thursday, as quoted by Kompas.com on Thursday.

Akil was also charged with receiving Rp 7.5 billion (US$636,989) from Tubagus Chaeri “Wawan” Wardhana, suspended Banten governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah’s sibling, for issuing a ruling in Atut’s favor in 2011.

According to prosecutors’ calculations, Akil received more than Rp 50 billion and around $500,000 in bribes. Akil was charged with violating the Corruption Law, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

Commenting on this, Akil said during the break that the prosecutors could not prove any of out of it.

“It’s all not true,” he said.

Akil was arrested last year in his official residence in Kuningan, Central Jakarta, along with Chairun Nisa of the Golkar Party, Gunung Mas elected regent Hambit Bintih and two others. (irb./dic)