Indonesia’s ‘perfect husband’ sentenced to 6.5 years’ jail in tin-mining corruption scandal
Businessman Harvey Moeis was also handed a penalty of 210 billion rupiah and a fine of 1 billion rupiah. Two others involved in the scandal were sentenced on Monday (Dec 23).
Harvey Moeis and his wife, Indonesian actress Sandra Dewi, are known for their lavish lifestyle. (File photo: AFP/ Bahtiar)
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JAKARTA: High-profile businessman Harvey Moeis, nicknamed Indonesia’s “perfect husband” by netizens, was sentenced to 6.5 years in prison and a penalty of 210 billion rupiah (US$13 million) for his role in a massive tin-mining corruption case on Monday (Dec 23).
He was also fined 1 billion rupiah.
The Central Jakarta District Court found Harvey, 39, guilty of corruption and money laundering related to illegal tin mining and trade. The illegal mining took place within state-owned tin miner PT Timah’s concessions in Bangka Belitung province off Sumatra.
Harvey’s jail term is, however, significantly shorter than the 12 years prosecutors had sought.
The court ruled that 12 years’ imprisonment would be too heavy as Harvey was not part of the management structure of PT Refined Bangka Tin (RBT). RBT is the company that gained access to PT Timah’s management with Harvey’s help.
Harvey brokered deals for at least four smelting companies to process tin from illegal mining, receiving payments of up to US$700 per tonne, the court found, as reported by Jakarta Globe.
Over the years, he collected at least US$30 million through a co-conspirator called Helena Lim.
During the trial, the prosecution revealed that state losses from the case amounted to an estimated 300 trillion rupiah, primarily from irreparable environmental damage caused by the illegal mining activities.
Prosecutors said they would take a week to decide whether to appeal the verdict.
TWO OTHERS SENTENCED IN ONE OF INDONESIA’S LARGEST CORRUPTION CASES
The scandal has captured attention in Indonesia not only for being one of its largest corruption cases.
Moeis, who was charged with corruption on Mar 31 and with money laundering on Apr 4, has an online reputation as the “perfect husband” due to his wealth and good looks.
He is married to actress, businesswoman and brand ambassador Sandra Dewi. The pair are known for their lavish lifestyle and held a luxurious wedding reception at Tokyo Disneyland in November 2016.
Harvey also reportedly bought a Bombardier Challenger 605 private jet, which was worth 270 billion rupiah, as a gift for his young son’s birthday.
Others were sentenced for their role in the illegal tin mining case on Monday.
Suparta, the president director of RBT, was sentenced to eight years in prison, a penalty of 4.57 trillion rupiah and a fine of 1 billion rupiah.
Another RBT executive, Reza Andriansyah, was sentenced to five years’ jail and a fine of 750 million rupiah.
