ANTASARI SENTENCED TO 18 YEARS

Jakarta, Feb 11 (ANTARA) - Former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chief Antasari Azhar, accused of masterminding the murder of businessman Nasruddin Zulkarnaen, was sentenced to 18 years in jail by a South Jakarta district court jury here on Thursday.

"We find the defendant's guilt to have been legally and convincingly proven" , the jury's chairman, Herry Swantoro said.

Earlier, the prosecution had asked the jury to sentence Antasari to death.

Minutes after the jury had passed the sentence, Antasari declared he would appeal it.

Antasari and three other persons, namely businessman Sigit Haryo Wibisono, former South Jakarta police chief Wiliardi Wizard and businessman Jerry Hermawan Lo had been charged with conspiring to eliminate Nasrudin Zulkarnaen.

In earlier court verdicts, Sigit, Wiliardi and Jerry were sentenced to 15, 12 and five years in jail respectively.

While the motive for the murder has remained unclear, sources close to Nasruddin's family have said it was linked to an affair Antasari had with a woman who was Nasruddin's third wife.

But Antasari had denied all the charges and said Nasruddin was a personal friend, who had given him vital confidential information on corruption in the RNI group.