Former Democrat Politician Sutan Bhatoegana Gets 10 Years in Oil Graft Case

Jakarta Globe, Erwin Sihombing,Aug 19, 2015

Sutan Bhatoegana at a hearing in his trial on Aug. 10. The former Democratic
 Party legislator was on Wednesday sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined
Rp 500 million ($36,000) for his role in rigging oil purchase contracts.
 (Antara Photo/Reno Esnir)

Jakarta. The Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court on Wednesday sentenced former Democratic Party legislator Sutan Bhatoegana to 10 years in prison for taking bribes in exchange for steering lucrative oil and gas contracts to private operators.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Artha Teresia also ordered Sutan to pay Rp 500 million ($36,000) in fines or serve an additional one year behind bars for failure to pay.

The ruling, though stiff by the court’s standards, was slightly less than the 11 years sought by prosecutors from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Sutan was charged in the case by the KPK in May last year, but only taken into custody in February this year.

He was charged with soliciting Rp 200 million in bribes from Rudi Rubiandini, the former head of oil and gas regulator SKKMigas, two years ago when the politician chaired the House of Representatives’ oversight commission for energy. The money was his cut of bribes paid by oil traders for purchasing contracts from SKKMigas.

Rudi was in April last year convicted over his role in the scandal and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Sutan told the court on Wednesday that he would appeal against his conviction.

“Seventy percent of the verdict is the same as the indictment. Of course we have to challenge it,” he said, failing to explain his reasoning.

He previously attempted to have the charges dismissed against him by filing a pretrial motion before his case went to court, but this was thrown out in April by the South Jakarta District Court.