Jakarta Globe, July 12, 2010, Nivell Rayda
The Anti-Corruption Court on Monday sentenced two sitting legislators and a former lawmaker to four years in jail each for taking bribes in two separate graft cases in 2006 and 2007.
The three, Fachri Andi Leluasa, Azwar Chesputra and Hilman Indra, were also ordered to pay Rp 200 million ($22,000) in fines each or face an additional six months in jail.
Fachri and Azwar are from the Golkar Party, while Hilman is a former lawmaker from the Crescent Star Party (PBB).
The four-year sentences were, however, lighter than the five years sought by prosecutors.
“The defendants had admitted their crime, shown remorse and returned the bribe money they received to the state,” presiding Judge Jupriadi said when explaining the reasons for the more lenient sentences.
Both the prosecution and defense now have seven days to decide if they will lodge an appeal with the Jakarta High Court against the sentences.
In the first case, the three defendants were found to have received between Rp 335 million and Rp 450 million each to facilitate the conversion of a protected forest for the development of the Tanjung Api Api seaport in South Sumatra.
The bribes, Judge Dudu Duswara said, came from businessman Chandra Antonio Tan and former South Sumatra Governor Syahrial Oesman, and were issued to secure political support for the project and the consent of the House of Representatives’ forestry commission.
In his recap of the case, Dudu said Fachri, Azwar and Hilman had met with Chandra at a hotel in October 2006.
“Chandra gave Azwar Rp 1 billion for the entire [forestry commission], which was rejected by Azwar, who said the sum was insufficient,” the judge said.
The three defendants, along with former Democratic Party lawmaker Sarjan Taher and former National Awakening Party (PKB) lawmaker Yusuf Erwin Faisal, met again with Chandra and demanded Rp 5 billion, which was later distributed to all 21 members of the House commission.
Last year, the same court sentenced Sarjan and Yusuf each to four and a half years’ imprisonment for their roles in the case, while former United Development Party (PPP) lawmaker Al-Amin Nasution is serving 11 years for his role in the case.
Al-Amin was also charged with accepting Rp 2.2 billion in bribes in a similar forest conversion case in Riau Islands.
Chandra and Syahrial received three-year and two-year sentences, respectively, for their roles in the bribery scandal.
Another 15 lawmakers, who allegedly also received bribes in connection with the case, have not yet been charged. Despite the scandal, the seaport project continued and the facility is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year.
In the second case, the court ruled that Fachri, Azwar and Hilman were guilty of accepting up to 30,000 Singapore dollars each from businessman Anggoro Widjojo in relation to a procurement project within the Ministry of Forestry.
The House in 2007 rejected the ministry’s plan to procure a radio communications system from Anggoro’s company, PT Masaro Radiokom, because the company’s product was already obsolete.
Legislators, however, later gave the green light for the contentious project.
Anggoro is currently wanted by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in connection with the Forestry Ministry case, but is believed to be on the run and hiding in Singapore.
His brother, Anggodo Widjojo, is currently on trial for obstruction of justice and attempting to bribe KPK officials, allegedly in order to stop an investigation into Anggoro’s company.
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