Officially Freed From Pekanbaru Prison, Former Riau Governor Rusli Zainal Returns On A Land Cruiser

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - The Governor of Riau for the 2008-2013 period, Rusli Zainal, has completed his sentence in Pekanbaru Class II A Prison. Now he can breathe free air starting Thursday, July 21, at around 07.10 WIB.

Rusli Zainal wears a white long-sleeved shirt, black trousers, and wears a white mask. As soon as he left the prison door, Rusli Zainal was greeted by his colleagues.

He and his partner were seen greeting and shaking hands with each other. It was heard that Rusli Zainal had time to say "Healthy. Thank you," before approaching the black Toyota Land Cruiser that had been waiting since morning in the prison parking lot located on Jalan Penitentiary, as reported by Antara.

Before getting into the car, one of the relatives asked for a photo and was well served by Rusli Zainal.

However, the man who was once the number one person in Riau was reluctant to serve journalists interviews. Even when asked how he felt after being released from detention, Rusli Zainal showed a gesture of not wanting to answer questions. He immediately went to the Pekanbaru Class II Correctional Agency (Bapas).

Rusli Zainal is a former Governor of Riau who was caught in the bribery case of forestry and the Riau PON project. In 2014, he was sentenced to 14 years in prison and required to pay a fine of IDR 1 billion, a subsidiary of six months in prison. The judge also decided to revoke Rusli Zainal's political rights.

However, the Supreme Court granted the judicial review (PK). The chief justice reduced Rusli Zainal's sentence to four years. As a result, he served 10 years in prison.