BANGKOK (TrustLaw) – An Indonesian judge has been sentenced to four years in prison and fined 150 million rupiah ($16,510) after he was found guilty of receiving bribes in a bankruptcy case, the Jakarta Post reported.
Syarifuddin Umar, who deals with bankruptcy cases at the Central Jakarta District Court, was caught red-handed in June at his home in North Jakarta accepting 250 million rupiah ($29,200) from Puguh Wirayawan.
Wirayawan is a curator of bankrupt garment manufacturer Skycamping Indonesia and is, according to media reports, accused of embezzling the severance pay of the company’s 1,500 workers who lost their jobs.
Indonesian papers said at the time it is suspected the bribe was paid to smooth the sale of company assets.
Presiding judge Gusrizal said evidence presented before the Anti-Corruption Court proved that Syarifuddin had received the bribe, the Post reported.
The sentence was lower than the 20 years imprisonment and a fine of 500 million Rupiah ($55,050) demanded by prosecutors.
Syarifuddin, who was arrested by officials from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), is the second judge to be tried in the Anti-Corruption Court. The first, Muhammad Ibrahim, was sentenced to six years last August for taking a 300 million rupiah bribe from the plaintiff in a land-dispute case.
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