Court Sends Justice to Jail for Bribery and Money Laundering – Politics

During a hearing on Tuesday, the panel of judges, chaired by Judge Fahzal Hendri, read out the additional penalty against Gazalba: a fine of Rp 500 million (US$32,177) or an additional prison term of four months.

The sentence was lighter than the prosecutor’s demand of 15 years in prison and a fine of Rp 1 billion. The court also rejected the prosecutor’s request that Gazalba pay Rp 1.5 billion and $18,000 in restitution, arguing that the money he received did not result in state losses.

Judges concluded that Gazalba accepted bribes from businessman Jawahirul Fuad in exchange for the latter’s acquittal of a lawsuit involving his company in the unauthorized disposal of hazardous waste. Gazalba’s friend, lawyer Ahmad Riyad, received Rp 650 million from the businessman and handed over Rp 500 million to the justice.

“(Gazalba) received his share of Rp 500 million in Singapore dollars, while the remaining Rp 150 million was accepted by Ahmad Riyadh. So this shows that the defendant had accepted unlawful gifts in the case,” Judge Fahzal Hendri said during the hearing on Tuesday, quoted by compass.id.

During his tenure at the Supreme Court, Gazalba also handled a case review filed by former Samarinda Regional Legislative Council (DPRD) member Jaffar Abdul Gafar of the Golkar Party, who was on trial in an illegal levy case in the East Kalimantan capital.

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When Jaffar filed a case review in 2020, his lawyer Neshawaty Arsyad, who knew Gazalba, allegedly paid an amount of Rp 37 billion regarding the hearing of the petition at the Supreme Court.