Former Indonesian Agriculture Minister Sentenced To 10 Years For Corruption

An Indonesian court sentenced former agriculture minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo to 10 years in prison on Thursday for corruption, which included lavish spending on private jet travel and jewelry for his wife. The court’s decision marks another high-profile conviction in the country’s ongoing battle against government corruption.

Prosecutors accused Limpo of extorting officials at the Ministry of Agriculture to the tune of more than 44 billion rupiah ($2.72 million) to fund his personal expenditures. In addition to the prison sentence, Limpo was fined 300 million rupiah and ordered to pay approximately 14.6 billion rupiah in compensation, head judge Rianto Adam Pontoh announced, as broadcast on news channel KompasTV.

Following the verdict, television images showed Limpo addressing reporters. He maintained his innocence but expressed respect for the court’s decision, acknowledging that the verdict was “a consequence of my work.”

In the same case, two former senior officials at the agriculture ministry were each sentenced to four years in prison.

Limpo is the sixth minister from President Joko Widodo’s cabinet to face corruption charges. Earlier this year, a former communications minister received a 15-year jail sentence for corruption. In 2021, Jokowi’s social affairs and fisheries ministers were also convicted and jailed for similar offenses.

Melissa Enoch

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