Jakarta. Ratu Atut Chosiyah, who made history by becoming the country’s first female governor, was released on parole on Tuesday after serving time in prison since she was first convicted of corruption in September 2014.

The former governor of Banten has been convicted of corruption twice in separate cases and handed down consecutive prison sentences totaling 12 and a half years.

After many sentence cuts through good time credits and government rewards usually given during major national holidays, a government spokesman said her actual release date is July 8, 2025.

But Atut meets requirements for parole, including having served two-thirds of her sentence.

"She was released today from the Class IIA Tangerang Penitentiary on parole," said Rika Aprianti, a spokeswoman for the Justice Ministry’s Directorate General of Corrections.

Atut, 60, will be on probation until July 8, 2025, during which “she must not commit criminal offenses or the parole will be revoked”, Rika said.

In 2014, Atut was found guilty of bribing Constitutional Court Chief Justice Akil Mochtar to seek a ruling favoring her candidates in district head election disputes in the Banten district of Lebak.

Her appeal to the Supreme Court backfired because the sentence was increased from four and a half years to seven. The highest court also sentenced the disgraced chief justice to life.

In July 2017, Atut was again convicted of corruption in fraudulent medical equipment procurement by the Banten provincial government during her tenure.

She was sentenced to five and a half years and this time she didn’t appeal.

Atut became the acting governor in Banten in 2005 after the actual governor was implicated in a graft case. 

She rose to a historic win in the 2007 gubernatorial election to become the country’s first elected female governor and was reelected five years later.

Her family is accused of building a political dynasty in Banten where government posts or legislative council seats in many districts and towns in Java's westernmost province were occupied by her siblings, in-laws, or children. The current vice governor of Banten is her oldest son, Andika Hazrumy.