TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Corruption Court sentenced Surya Darmadi, CEO of PT Duta Palma Group, to 15 years in prison. Surya is a defendant in the case of corruption in the oil palm plantation business licensing. He is also ordered to pay compensation in the amount of Rp39 billion to replace state losses. If not able, then replaced with imprisonment for five years.

"The court sentences the defendant to 15 years of imprisonment and a fine of Rp1 billion," chief judge Fahzal Hendri said in today's sentence hearing, February 23.

The panel of judges found Surya Darmadi guilty of incurring financial losses to the state, amounting to Rp2.64 trillion.

The judge's sentence is lighter than what the prosecutors demand. They demanded Surya be jailed for life and pay Rp1 billion in fines plus Rp78.8 trillion in damages.

This case began when the Regent of Indragiri Hulu in 1999-2008, Raja Thamsir Rachman, issued location permits and plantation business permits (IUP) to four companies from PT Duta Palma Group. They are PT Banyu Bening Utama in 2003 as well as PT Panca Argo Lestari, PT Palma Satu, and PT Sebrida Subur in 2007.

The permit issuance was suspected to have been illegal and had the potential to incur state losses because the locations where the permit was issued are state-protected forests without acquisition rights.