JAKARTA, Indonesia – Prosecutors are demanding 16 years in prison for a senior Indonesian politician accused of playing a key role in the theft by officials of $170 million of public money.
At a sentencing demand hearing on Thursday, prosecutors also called for fines and seizure of Setya Novanto's assets if he fails to return $7.4 million he allegedly received as part of the corruption conspiracy.
Anti-corruption police allege Novanto was among about 80 people, mostly officials and legislators, who used the introduction of a $440 million electronic identity card system in 2011 and 2012 to steal more than a third of the funds.
Novanto, the former speaker of Indonesia's parliament and senior member of the Golkar party, denies any wrongdoing.
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