Graft convict Pinangki Sirna Malasari was granted conditional release after serving just a small fraction of her initial sentence. Before appeals, she was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Formerly a public prosecutor at the Attorney General’s Office, Pinangki walked out of the Tangerang Class IIA Penitentiary yesterday. She began serving her prison sentence at the facility in August 2021 after having been in detention during her trial since August 2020.
Pinangki was eligible for parole this early after the Supreme Court knocked six years off her sentence in 2021 on the grounds that her initial 10-year sentence was too harsh for a woman who has a small child..
Pinangki is under parole until December 2024, during which time she may be sent back to prison if she reoffends during the period.
In 2021, Pinangki was found guilty of accepting a US$500,000 bribe from former corruption fugitive Djoko Tjandra. The disgraced prosecutor reportedly spent the money on a BMW X5 and cosmetic surgery in the US.
Pinangki’s fashion choice during her trial sparked derision in the Muslim majority country, as she notably wore the hijab hair covering when facing the court. This sparked discussions on whether or not any show of piety for sympathy should be barred from courtrooms.
Islamic organizations have revived the discussions after Pinangki was photographed without the hijab upon her release yesterday.
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