Sudewo sentenced to 8.5 years in prison for corruption and extortion

The Semarang Corruption Court has sentenced the inactive Regent of Pati, Sudewo, to eight years and six months in prison. The verdict follows convictions involving bribery and gratification related to projects at the Directorate General of Railways (DJKA) and extortion regarding the recruitment of village officials in Pati Regency.

In addition to the prison term, the court imposed a fine of Rp300 million. Sudewo is also ordered to pay Rp3,511,500,000 in state losses; failure to pay within one month of the verdict becoming legally binding could result in the seizure and auction of his assets or additional prison time.

The court found that Sudewo abused his authority as a public official and former member of the House of Representatives (DPR RI) to enrich himself and others. In the DJKA case, he was found to have received bribes and gratifications totaling approximately Rp3.4 billion. In the village official recruitment case, he was involved in extortion practices that were uncovered following a KPK sting operation in January 2026.

Following the announcement, members of the Pati United Community Alliance (AMPB) held celebrations in Pati, including fireworks and communal meals, to mark the verdict.