Rhino horn vendor gets 18-months

JAKARTA: The West Jakarta District Court sentenced a vendor, who sold fake rhinoceros horns, to 18 months in prison on Monday for fraud.

Presiding judge Chaidir said in the verdict that defendant Bong William alias Ko Titi, 62, was found guilty of defrauding Semi Jaya Chandra sometime between July and September 2001 for Rp 625 million (US$74,405).

The sentence was only half of the three-year sentence sought by prosecutor Sugiyono.

Ko Titi, who is also a lecturer at the Police Staff College (PTIK), had sold a total of 70 rhino horns to Chandra for Rp 625 million.

Chandra then sold the horns to buyers in Hong Kong who later realized the horns are fake. Some were made of cement, while others were ox and buffalo horns.

Java and Sumatra rhinos are protected species.

The panel of judges gave Ko Titi two weeks to return the money before issuing the verdict, but the defendant declined to do so.

"If the defendant returns the money, there is a possibility that I may consider imposing a more lenient sentence," judge Chaidir said.

The defendant said he would appeal.

"What can I do? From now on, I have to sleep at Salemba Penitentiary. I pity my wife who suffers from a heart condition. She collapsed several times," said Ko Titi, before he was taken to Salemba. -- Antara