Near Family, Ex-Governor of Bengkulu Sentenced to Extortion Moved to Sukamiskin Prison

JAKARTA - Former Governor of Bengkulu and convicted of gratification and extortion in the 2024 regional head election (Pilkada), Rohidin Mersyah was transferred to Sukamiskin Class I Prison. Rohidin previously was in Bengkulu Class II A Prison.

The transfer of Rohidin Mersyah from the Bengkulu Class II A Penitentiary to the Sukamiskin Class I Prison was due to a number of reasons, one of which was that his family was in Jakarta or outside Bengkulu.

"There are important reasons that make us ask his client to move, one of which is the wife who mostly works in Jakarta and her child who is still in school in Depok," said the lawyer for the convicted defendant, Rohidin Mersyah, Aan Julianda in Bengkulu City, Monday, quoted by Antara.

He said the transfer of Rohidin Mersyah was in accordance with the applicable rules and his party remained obedient to the legal process and lived as it should.

Previously, the Bengkulu Corruption Criminal Court (Tipikor) panel of judges sentenced the former Governor of Bengkulu, Rohidin Mersyah, to 10 years in prison with a fine of Rp. 700 million, plus six months in prison for gratification and extortion.

Rohidin Mersyah was also sentenced to an additional penalty in the form of compensation to the state of IDR 39.6 billion, 72.15 US dollars and 349 Singapore dollars and if he is unable to pay, his property will be confiscated or replaced with a three-year imprisonment and his political rights will be revoked for two years after serving the main sentence.

"Declaring the defendant Rohidin Mersyah to be proven legally and convincingly guilty of committing a corruption crime as stated in the indictment and imposing a sentence of imprisonment for 10 years in prison," said the Chairman of the Bengkulu Tipikor PN Corruption Court.

The evidence seized by the KPK prosecutor's office will be auctioned in an effort to return the losses incurred and seized for the state, as well as the sentence to be reduced by the period of detention that has been carried out since November 2024.

The Public Prosecutor (JPU) of the Indonesian KPK has demanded the former Governor of Bengkulu, Rohidin Mersyah, with a main sentence of eight years in prison and a fine of Rp. 700 million, in addition to six months in prison, in connection with the alleged gratification and extortion case.

Rohidin is also charged with an additional criminal offense in the form of compensation to the state of IDR 39.6 billion, 72.15 US dollars and 349 Singapore dollars and if he is unable to pay, his property will be confiscated or replaced with a three-year imprisonment and his political rights will be revoked for two years after serving the main sentence.