9-11-2023 (JAKARTA) An Indonesian court has handed down a 15-year prison sentence to former communications minister Johnny G. Plate on Wednesday (Nov 8). The conviction stems from his involvement in a corruption scandal related to the construction of telecommunication towers. Johnny, one of President Joko Widodo’s ministers, becomes the sixth member of the cabinet to face graft charges.
Authorities arrested Johnny in May on suspicion of receiving kickbacks amounting to 17.8 billion rupiah (equivalent to S$1.5 million) from companies associated with a 17 trillion rupiah initiative aimed at constructing telecommunications towers and expanding internet access to numerous villages.
In addition to the prison sentence, Johnny was also fined one billion rupiah. The judge’s verdict categorically declared Johnny to be “convincingly guilty of corruption,” leaving no room for ambiguity.
According to prosecutors, the illicit funds obtained by Johnny were used to finance personal expenses, including a trip to the United States and various recreational activities such as golf. These revelations painted a damning picture of Johnny’s involvement in the corruption scheme.
Achmad Cholidin, Johnny’s defense lawyer, stated that his client, who had consistently denied any wrongdoing, is currently contemplating the possibility of filing an appeal against the court’s decision.
The corruption case linked to Johnny’s actions has inflicted significant financial losses on the state, amounting to approximately 6.2 trillion rupiah, as revealed by the presiding judge.
Transparency International, a global anti-corruption watchdog, has reported a decline in Indonesia’s corruption perception index. In the previous year, the country dropped four points, ranking at 110 out of 180 nations assessed.
