1 July 2014
Akil Mochtar, 53, was the chief of the constitutional court when the Corruption Eradication Commission charged him with graft and money laundering offences. A five-member board of the anti-corruption court handed down the life imprisonment verdict. He was found guilty of accepting bribes amounting to US$ 3.37 million to fix district and provincial elections. It was revealed during the trial that Mochtar had fixed at least 10 election results.
Presiding judge Suwidya said that there was no reason to reject the maximum life imprisonment sought by the prosecution because the actions of Mochtar tarnished the image of the highest judicial institution. Prosecutors also sought a fine of US$ 840,000 but the court rejected this request on the grounds that it had already given the maximum sentence under the law.
While he was a legislator under the banner of Golkar Party he had laundered more than US$ 15.2 million from 2002 till he was arrested in October 2013.He was elected as a judge in 2008 and became the chief judge in April last year.
Endemic graft in Indonesia has been the main reason for deterring foreign investments in Indonesia.
