Prosecutors Demand 5 years Jail Time for Edhy Prabowo in Lobster Export Graft

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Public prosecutors are demanding a five-year prison sentence and a fine of Rp400 million—replaceable with six months in prison—for former minister Edhy Prabowo in the lobster seeds export graft case.

According to prosecutors, Edhy, the former minister of marine and fisheries, was proven to have accepted bribes in return for lobster seeds export permits.

The prosecutors also demanded additional criminal charges in the form of Rp9 billion and US$77,000 in compensation payments.

"If the defendant fails to pay within one month after the verdict, his property and possessions will be confiscated and auctioned. If the defendant does not have enough assets to pay the replacement money, he will be sentenced to two additional years in prison," prosecutor Ronald Worotikan read out the indictment at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday, June 29.

Public prosecutors also demanded that Edhy is stripped off from his rights of being elected to public office for four years after serving the principal criminal sentence.

According to the Prosecutor, the former minister o was proven to have accepted Rp24.6 billion and US$77,000 in bribes so that he and his subordinates would speed up the process of granting the export permits for lobster seeds.

According to the prosecutor, the US$77,000 came from Suharjito, director of PT Dua Putera Perkasa. Edhy Prabowo accepted the money via the special staff of the minister, Safri, and Edhy's private secretary Amiril Mukminin.

Meanwhile, the Rp24.6 billion was given by other lobster seeds exporters through the special staff of the minister Andreau Misanta Pribadi, Amiril Mukminin, Edhy's wife's personal assistant Ainul Faqih, and PT Perishable Logistics Indonesia's commissioner Siswadhi Pranoto.

For the two special ministerial staffs, Andreau Misanta Pribadi and Safri, the public prosecutors demanded four and a half years of prison sentences and a fine of Rp300 million—replaceable with six months in jail.

Meanwhile, Amiril Faqih is indicted with four and a half years of prison sentence with Rp200 million fine—replaceable with four months in prison. Ainul Faqih and Sidwadhi Pranoto are indicted with four years in prison and Rp200 million fines—replaceable with four months in prison.

Read: Former Minister Edhy Prabowo Charged in Lobster Seeds Export Graft Case

Andita Rahma