Son Jailed Over Video Graft at Father’s Former Ministry

Jakarta Globe, SP/Erwin Sihombing, Dec 17, 2014

Riefan Avrian was sentenced to six years in prison for embezzlement at the
Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday. (Antara Photo/Yudhi Mahatma)

Jakarta. Jakarta’s Anti-Corruption Court sentenced the son of a former minister to six years in prison on Wednesday, after he was found guilty of embezzling money in the procurement of outdoor video monitors for his father’s ministry.

Riefan Avrian was found guilty of incurring state losses amounting to more than Rp 4 billion ($334,000) by rigging a bid for the procurement of video monitors.

His father Syarief Hasan, the former Minister of Small and Medium-Seized Enterprises — and current acting chairman of the Democratic Party — was not charged in the case.

“The court sentenced the defendant to six years in prison and orders him to pay a Rp 200 million fine,” presiding judge Nani Indrawati told the court on Wednesday.

The court also ordered Rievan to pay the state Rp 5.39 billion within one month or face an additional two years in prison. The amount is understood to include legal costs.

The conviction is a victory for anti-graft prosecutors, who had demanded eight years in prison.

Nani said Riefan had manipulated Hendra Saputra, an office assistant at Imaji Media, whose job was to run errands but was listed as the company’s director.

Riefan paid Hendra Rp 19 million to use his name on the tender documentation. Riefan later offered Rp 100 million after Hendra was arrested in a bid to keep his name out of the case.

“The defendant knew that Hendra worked in his office as an errand boy and that he did not even graduate from elementary school,” judge Sofialdi told the court.

Hendra was convicted earlier in the year for his part in the case. He was sentenced to a year in prison.

The case came to light after the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) found that payments did not match the market value of the equipment.

Riefan’s company, Imaji Media, was set up for the sole purpose of the tender in 2012. The project was worth Rp 23.4 billion.

Riefan said he needed some time to consider if he would file an appeal.