Lawyer Marcella Santoso Sentenced to 14 Years' Imprisonment in Bribery and Money Laundering Case Linked to CPO Ruling

Jakarta — Lawyer Marcella Santoso has been sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment after being proven to have provided bribes in the conditioning of a ruling to acquit a corruption case involving the provision of facilities for the export of crude palm oil (CPO) and for money laundering in 2025. Chief Judge Effendi stated that Marcella was proven to have paid bribes to the judge handling the CPO case amounting to US$4 million (equivalent to Rp60 billion) and to have engaged in money laundering totalling US$2 million, both of which were carried out together with lawyer Ariyanto.

“The defendant has been found to have, together with Ariyanto, provided bribes and to have engaged in money laundering in the case,” said the presiding judge during the reading of the verdict at the Corruption Court of the Central Jakarta District Court on Tuesday.

In addition to imprisonment, the panel also imposed a fine of Rp600 million, with the provision that if it is not paid, it may be substituted with a prison term of 150 days.

Moreover, Marcella was ordered to pay restitution of Rp16.25 billion, with a substitute prison term of 6 years if not paid.

The panel held that Marcella’s actions did not support the state’s commitment to eradicating corruption, particularly within the judiciary, thereby aggravating the sentence.

Marcella’s acts were also deemed to have damaged public trust in the rule of law, not only domestically but in the eyes of the world, and to have tarnished the reputation of the legal profession by abusing it in violation of truth and justice.

“Another aggravating factor is that Marcella benefited from the crime and engaged in money laundering, which constitutes a betrayal of the reform mandate of 1998 to eradicate corruption, collusion, and nepotism in all sectors,” the presiding judge said.

Nevertheless, Marcella, who had no prior convictions, was considered a mitigating circumstance.

For her actions, Marcella was found guilty of violating Article 6(1)(a) in conjunction with Article 18 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption (as amended) and Article 55(1) (1) of the Indonesian Penal Code and Article 3 of Law No. 8 of 2010 on the Prevention and Eradication of Money Laundering.