Former Social Minister to Be Released After Serving Term for Graft

Jakarta Globe, Rizky Amelia, May 25, 2012

Former Indonesian Social Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah will be a free
man soon. (Antara Photo)

Related articles

• Court Too Easy on Former Minister Bachtiar: Graft Watchdog
• Ex-Social Minister Gets 20 Months for Graft
• Ex-Minister Sentenced to One Year and 8 Months in Graft Case
• Ex-Minister Faces 3-Year Sentence in Graft Case

Former Indonesian Social Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah will be a free man soon.

“Bachtiar will be freed today, after the Friday prayer,” said Djufri, Bachtiar's lawyer. “He has completed his prison term.”

In March 2011, the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court sentenced Bachtiar to serve 20 months in prison for graft in the procurement of goods for victims of natural disasters by his ministry between 2004 and 2008.

The court also ordered Bachtiar to pay a Rp 50 million ($5,750) fine or spend an additional three months in jail. The sentence was lighter than the prosecutors' demand for three years in prison and a Rp 100 million fine.

Bachtiar has long maintained that he was not guilty of the charges, which prosecutors said had caused state losses to the tune of Rp 33.7 billion. He said Amrun Daulay, the director general of social security assistance at the ministry at the time of the alleged corruption, was responsible for the procurements, but had escaped prosecution because he was a member of the ruling Democratic Party.

He was charged with bypassing the tender process by directly appointing Ladang Sutera to supply 6,000 sewing machines and Dinar Semestal to provide sarongs for victims of natural disasters.