Jakarta. Former Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi was found guilty of corruption on Monday and sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment.

The judge panel at the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court also ordered Imam to repay Rp 18 billion ($1.3 million)  in damages within a month, or his jail term will be added by another two years. Furthermore, the panel scrapped his rights to be elected as public official for four years, effective after he completes his jail term.

The tough sentencing, however, is below the prosecutors’ demand of 10 years in jail and a fine of Rp 19 billion.

Imam and his close aide Miftahul Ulum were convicted of accepting Rp 11.5 billion in bribes to approve a grant proposal submitted by the Indonesian National Sports Committee (KONI).

Both men were also proven guilty of taking illegal payments from various sources totaling Rp 18 billion.

Miftahul was already convicted by the same court and sentenced to four years in jail two weeks ago.

In response, Imam told the panel he never took Rp 11.5 billion from KONI officials.

“I swear in the name of Allah that I never accepted the Rp 11.5 billion payment,” he told the panel.

However, he didn’t immediately announce a challenge against the conviction, saying he would consider within the next seven days whether an appeal is submitted. 

According to the Corruption Eradication Commission, Imam accepted the ill-gotten money while serving as minister in 2014-2018. 

Imam submitted his resignation to President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo soon after he was named a suspect in September last year.

Imam is the second minister in Jokowi's cabinet to be implicated in corruption after Idrus Marham was forced to step down as social affairs minister earlier. However, the case against Idrus, who also has been convicted, was unrelated to his job as minister.