KPK Prosecutors Seek 10 Years for Andi Mallarangeng

Jakarta Globe, SP/Novianti Setuningsih, Jul 01, 2014

Former Youth and Sports Affairs Minister Andi Mallarangeng arrives at the Jakarta

 Anti-Corruption Court as his trial over the graft-ridden construction of the Hambalang

sports center began on March 10, 2014. (AFP Photo/Adek Berry)

Jakarta. Prosecutors with the Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, have demanded the court sentence former Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng to 10 years in jail for graft over the botched construction of the Hambalang sports center.

“The defendant as youth and sports minister never cross-checked the reports he received, which is necessary for budget supervision. He used the excuse that the reports were adequate,” prosecutor Kiki Ahmad Yani said at the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court on Monday.

The prosecutors also want the court to order Andi to pay Rp 300 million ($25,000) in fines or spend an additional six months in jail. Prosecutors asked that he be compelled to repay Rp 2.5 billion to compensate a small part of the the state’s loss from the West Java sports training center. The court should confiscate his assets or impose an additional two years on his sentence if he failed to comply, they added.

The court was told that Andi’s lack of commitment in fighting graft, failing to acknowledge his actions and his incompetence in managing the ministry budget constituted aggravating factors that meant a heavy custodial sentence was the most appropriate sanction.

Andi is accused of having received Rp 4 billion and $550,000 from a company called Global Daya Manunggal through his brother Andi Zulkarnaen Mallarangeng, who also goes by Choel. The amount of Rp 2 billion was allegedly used to fund his campaign in the Democratic Party chair election.