Blitar regent gets 15 years for graft<\/p>\n
Antara, Blitar<\/p>\n
In a bold move, the Blitar District Court in East Java has handed
\ndown a 15-year jail sentence to suspended Blitar regent Imam
\nMuhadi on Monday, finding him guilty of embezzling Rp 97 billion
\n(US$9.7 million) from the regental budget.<\/p>\n
The sentence, delivered by presiding judge Nyoman Dedy T., was
\namong the heaviest penalties ever given to a top local government
\nofficial involved in graft.<\/p>\n
Suspended Aceh governor Abdullah Puteh was given a 10-year
\njail sentence by the Supreme Court in September, and in late
\nOctober, suspended Temangung regent Totok Ary Prabowo was given a
\nfour-year jail sentence by Temanggung District Court in Central
\nJava for embezzling election funds of Rp 12.6 billion last year.<\/p>\n
The Blitar District Court's sentence on Monday, however, was
\nlighter than the 18 years earlier demanded by prosecutors.<\/p>\n
Responding to the verdict, Imam Muhadi immediately declare
\nthat he would appeal the decision.<\/p>\n
Tempers flared when during a press briefing one of Imam's
\nsupporters was almost involved in a fight with a prosecutor in
\nthe courtroom.<\/p>\n
Imam's sons, Topan and Guntur, could not accept the decision
\neither, openly shouting at a prosecutor, and only calming down
\nwhen Imam arrived. Imam was then escorted from the court under
\ntight police guard.<\/p>\n
The sentence was similar to previous sentences handed out to
\nthe head of the regental administration's finance division,
\nKrisanto, but heavier than that given to three other officials
\nconvicted in the same case.<\/p>\n
The head of the administration's treasury division, Solichin
\nInanta, was sentenced to 11 years; head of information, tourism
\nand publications division, Rusjdan, received 10 years; and head
\nof the accounting office, Bangun Harsono, got five years.<\/p>\n
Such sentences will not be the last as the country steps up
\nthe fight against corruption. Soon, more regents and deputy
\nregents will follow as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\nhas recently endorsed requests by police and prosecutors to
\nquestion 10 top state and local government officials for their
\nalleged roles in separate cases of corruption.<\/p>\n
Presidential spokesman Andi Alfian Mallarangeng said the 10
\nofficials in question included the regent of Kapuas Hulu in West
\nKalimantan and the regent of Lamandau in East Kalimantan and his
\ndeputy.<\/p>\n
Also facing questioning were the regent of Pandeglang in
\nBanten and his deputy, the regent of Karawang in West Java, the
\ndeputy regent of Nganjuk in East Java, the mayor of Banjarmasin
\nin South Kalimantan and the deputy mayor of Salatiga in Central
\nJava.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/blitar-regent-gets-15-years-for-graft-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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