Former Minister of Communication and Information, Johnny G Plate, read out his defense statement regarding the 15-year prison sentence demand in the BTS 4G Kominfo corruption case. Johnny Plate remained steadfast in claiming his innocence and alluded to the suggestion that he was named a suspect due to political reasons.

"Although the trial's facts have clearly and firmly demonstrated my innocence, and I firmly believe that the honorable judges have comprehensively understood the case," he said while presenting his personal defense in the trial at the Corruption Court in Jakarta on Wednesday (11/1/2023).

Johnny continued, "The contents and substance of the public prosecutor's indictment are essentially the same as the charges, even though, based on the trial facts, all allegations made against me have been refuted, not just in part but entirely by the witnesses, expert opinions, and evidence presented in the trial."

Furthermore, Johnny Plate alluded to the alleged political factors involved in his designation as a suspect, his voice quivering. "Additionally, considering that since the beginning of my designation as a suspect, it cannot be denied that many opinions have suggested that my designation as a suspect was inseparable from the political situation at that time," he stated.

After reviewing the content of the public prosecutor's demand letter, Johnny raised new questions within himself, wondering whether it's true that he was made a suspect, then a defendant, and ultimately accused of corruption solely for political reasons. However, he emphasized that he wouldn't use political reasons as part of his defense in the BTS corruption case.

"Nevertheless, I remain committed to facing the legal process I am currently undergoing within the bounds of the law, and I will not and do not need to use political reasons in my defense," he affirmed.

Previously, Johnny G. Plate had been sentenced to 15 years in prison because the prosecutor believed that Johnny had been proven guilty of committing corruption in the BTS 4G Kominfo case, along with other defendants.

"We demand that the judges at the Corruption Court at the Central Jakarta District Court, who are overseeing and trying this case, decide that the defendant Johnny G Plate has been legally and convincingly proven guilty of committing corruption together," the prosecutor said in the trial at the Corruption Court in Jakarta.

The prosecutor also demanded Plate to pay a fine of Rp 1 billion or serve an alternative 12-month imprisonment and reimburse Rp 17.8 billion. The prosecutor believed Johnny had violated Article 2 paragraph 1 of the Corruption Eradication Law, in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code.