Rp 550b in assets to be seized from Nazaruddin

JAKARTA. Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court judges have ordered the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to seize assets worth Rp 550 billion (US$ 41.3 million) from former Democratic party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin.

Presiding judge Ibnu Basuki Widodo told the court to confiscate Rp 550 billion in assets on behalf of the state after the court found Nazaruddin guilty of money laundering and sentenced the former politician to serve six years in prison and ordered him to pay a Rp 1 billion fine on Wednesday.

The decision is lower than the Rp 600 billion originally demanded by prosecutors. The judges decided to return Rp 50 billion in assets to Nazaruddin, including oil palm plantations in Riau, an apartment in Rasuna Said, insurance, a bank account, a watch, and a house at Alam Sutera, Tangerang. According to Ibnu, those assests did not relate to the corruption case and had been obtained by Nazaruddin before he served as a lawmaker, Ibu said.

Nazaruddin was charged with accepting kickbacks from construction firm PT Duta Graha Indah and PT Nindya Karya in relation to several projects for the education and health ministries.

Nazaruddin said after the trial that he would not file for an appeal. (Callistasia Anggun Wijaya)