Wijarnoko Puspoyo, 58, immediately said he would appeal the verdict, which saw him fined 53,475 dollars (S$75,630) and ordered to restitute some 8.5 million dollars (S$12 million) to the state.

The 10-year sentence handed down by the South Jakarta district court was four years less than demanded by prosecutors.

'I am disappointed with the verdict and I will appeal,' he told the court after the verdict was read.

The head of the panel of judges, Artha Theresia, said Puspoyo was guilty of corruption linked to government rice export programmes between 2001 and 2003, causing losses to the state of around 88 billion rupiah (S$13.8 million).

Puspoyo and his younger brother, Wijokongko Puspoyo, were also convicted of receiving about 1.6 million dollars in bribes from a company involved in importing rice from Vietnam in 2003 and 2004.

Wijokongko earlier this year received a four-year jail sentence for aiding in an act of corruption.

The National Logistic Agency (Bulog) has the authority to import commodities and other goods needed by the government to stabilise supplies and prices at home. -- AFP