Jakarta. The Jakarta High Court upheld the graft conviction of former tax official Rafael Alun Trisambodo on Thursday, affirming the 14-year prison sentence handed down earlier by a district court.

The court also upheld the ruling for Rafael to pay Rp 10 billion in damages, maintaining the financial penalty imposed on the defendant.

The verdict was rendered by a panel consisting of presiding judge Tjokorda Rai Suamba and judges Tony Pribadi, Erwan Munawar, Margareta Yulie Bartin Setyaningsih, and Gatut Sulistyo.

Rafael was convicted on January 8 of corruption and money laundering charges, following an investigation into his conduct after his son was involved in an assault incident and subsequently imprisoned in a separate trial.

Rafael, who resigned from his position in the Finance Ministry prior to the trial, was found to have accumulated tens of billions of rupiah from taxpayers who utilized his consulting firm. The firm, registered under different individuals, assisted taxpayers in reducing their tax payments, creating a conflict of interest with Rafael's duties in the Tax Directorate.

During the trial at the Central Jakarta District Court, Presiding Judge Suparman Nyompa ordered Rafael to return Rp 10 billion ($644,000) in embezzled funds to the state treasury. Failure to comply would result in the seizure of his assets and an extension of his prison term by three years.

The repayment deadline was set for one month following the declaration of the verdict as final and binding.

Rafael was on the brink of being promoted to head a Jakarta tax office when the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named him as a suspect in March.

The graft investigation was prompted by media and public scrutiny of his family's lifestyle after his son, Mario Dandy, assaulted a teenager, resulting in severe injuries. Mario is currently serving a 12-year prison sentence for the assault and faces additional charges related to the alleged abuse of his underage girlfriend.

The Finance Ministry initiated a separate investigation into Rafael's unclaimed assets and recommended his dismissal, leading to his resignation.

Further complications arose for Rafael when prosecutors implicated his wife, Ernie Meike Torondek, as a co-conspirator in the criminal activities. Although not formally identified as a suspect, prosecutors alleged that Ernie played an active role in the illicit activities.

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