Sentencing hearing in Marcella Santoso bribery and money laundering case scheduled for 3 March 2026
Jakarta — The Corruption Court at Jakarta Central District Court will deliver its verdict on Tuesday, 3 March 2026 in the bribery and money laundering case involving alleged judicial influence in a crude palm oil (CPO) export corruption matter. The presiding judge, Effendi, announced that the sentencing hearing was moved from the originally planned date of 2 March to allow sufficient preparation time, with the judge emphasising that neither prosecutors nor defence counsel should attempt to influence the court panel’s decision-making process.
The case involves four defendants: lawyer Marcella Santoso, lawyer Junaedi Saibih, Muhammad Syafei (Head of Social Security Legal at Wilmar Group), and lawyer Ariyanto. The prosecution has sought prison sentences of 17 years for both Marcella and Ariyanto, 15 years for Syafei, and 9 years for Junaedi. All four defendants face fines of Rp600 million each, with alternative imprisonment of 150 days per defendant should the fines remain unpaid.
Additionally, Marcella faces a restitution demand of Rp21.6 billion with an alternative prison sentence of 8 years. Syafei and Ariyanto are each required to pay restitution of Rp9.33 billion and Rp21.6 billion respectively, with alternative sentences of 5 and 8 years imprisonment. The prosecution has also requested that Marcella, Junaedi, and Ariyanto be permanently disbarred from the legal profession by their bar association.
Marcella is accused of providing Rp40 billion in bribes to judges handling the CPO corruption case and laundering Rp52.5 billion through various means, including establishing shell companies, acquiring assets in others’ names, and mixing illicit proceeds with legitimate funds. The money laundering scheme involved US dollars equivalent to Rp28 billion held jointly by Marcella, Ariyanto, and Syafei, as well as legal fees totalling Rp24.5 billion. The prosecution alleges that all four defendants conspired in the bribery scheme, whilst Marcella, Ariyanto, and Syafei jointly orchestrated the money laundering operations.