Jakarta. Actress Sandra Dewi made an emotional plea during her testimony at the Central Jakarta District Court on Thursday, urging prosecutors not to confiscate her wedding ring in connection with the corruption trial of her husband, Harvey Moeis.

Sandra claimed that 141 pieces of gold jewelry had already been seized as evidence in the graft investigation but clarified that the items belong solely to her and are unrelated to her husband’s alleged misconduct.

"When it comes to my engagement and wedding rings, I will not surrender them for seizure. They are sacred to me and were not purchased with any ill-gotten money," Sandra told the panel of judges.

She explained that many of the confiscated items were given to her as part of endorsement deals with jewelry brands, which she has been representing as a brand ambassador.

"Regarding the other gold-plated items, they belong to me. Your Honor, I received them from my clients, who have been producing up to 24 models every two weeks since 2018. The brands provided the jewelry, asking me to wear them for promotion purposes," she told presiding judge Eko Aryanto.

"None of them were gifts from my husband, except for the engagement and wedding rings, which I will never part with," she said.

Sandra, 41, also defended her ownership of 88 designer bags presented as evidence, claiming they were part of endorsements from 23 fashion brands.

During the hearing, Judge Eko asked Sandra if she was familiar with the defendant.

"Of course, Your Honor, he is my beloved husband," she replied. "As far as I know, my husband ran a coal mining company."

Harvey Moeis stands accused of illegal tin mining within the concession areas of state-owned tin miner Timah, resulting in an estimated Rp 300 trillion ($18.5 billion) loss, largely due to environmental damages.

Prosecutors allege that Harvey, together with Suparta, the CEO of Refined Bangka Tin, facilitated illegal mining operations within Timah's concession areas.

Among the assets seized from Harvey are 11 properties, luxury cars including Ferraris, a Rolls-Royce, a Porsche, and a Mini Cooper, as well as jewelry, and the 88 designer bags Sandra defended.

Prosecutors also seized banknotes in various currencies totaling at least $1.2 million in value.

In total, prosecutors have named 22 suspects in the case, including Bambang Gatot Ariyono, the former director general of minerals and mining at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Helena Lim, another high-profile figure implicated in the case, was arrested earlier. From her, prosecutors seized Rp 10 billion in cash, 2 million Singaporean dollars, multiple luxury vehicles, two Richard Mille watches, and 37 designer bags.

The corruption scandal centers on illegal tin mining activities within Timah's concession areas from 2015 to 2022, which resulted in severe financial losses and environmental degradation. 

The Financial and Development Supervisory Agency (BPKP) estimates the damages at Rp 300 trillion, including Rp 271.1 trillion in environmental damage, Rp 26.5 trillion in lost potential revenue for Timah, and Rp 2.3 trillion in smelting-related costs.

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