Bram gets six years in graft case<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Anticorruption Court sent businessman Bram HD Manoppo to jail
\nfor six months on Tuesday after finding him guilty of defrauding
\nthe state during the purchase of a Russian-made MI-2 helicopter
\nfor the Aceh administration.<\/p>\n
The court also ordered Bram, who heads the PT Putra Pobiagan
\nMandiri (PPM) company, to pay a Rp 200 million (about US$20,000)
\nfine and make restitution of Rp 3.6 billion for the losses he
\ninflicted on the state.<\/p>\n
Presiding Judge Gus Rizal said Bram was guilty of illegally
\nenriching himself with state money through corrupt means in the
\npurchase of the helicopter in 2001, which also involved dismissed
\nAceh governor Abdullah Puteh.<\/p>\n
Puteh himself had been previously sentenced by the same court
\nto 10 years in jail, ordered to pay Rp 500 million in fines and
\nmake good the losses he had inflicted on the state.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Court last week upheld the jail sentence and asked
\nPuteh to pay Rp 6.6 billion in restitution within one month.<\/p>\n
During a previous hearing, prosecutors from the Corruption
\nEradication Commission (KPK) said Bram had received a Rp 750
\nmillion down payment for the helicopter purchase despite the
\nabsence of an official agreement.<\/p>\n
Bram's sentence was one year lighter than recommended by the
\nprosecution. If he fails to pay Rp 3.6 billion in restitution as
\nordered, he will have to spend another six months behind bars.<\/p>\n
According to the prosecution, among the compounding factors in
\nthe case were the fact that Bram had engaged in graft amid the
\nefforts by the state to stamp out corruption, that the purchase
\nwas in violation of the procedures and that Bram had given
\nmisleading answers during his trial.<\/p>\n
\"As for mitigating factors, he was well-behaved and polite
\nduring the trial, has a family to support and is already of
\nadvanced age,\" said Khaidir Ramli, one of the prosecutors.<\/p>\n
After the verdict was read out, Bram immediately said he would
\nappeal, saying he was innocent.<\/p>\n
\"I'm appealing as the helicopter is still a valuable asset,
\nwhile the court failed to take this into consideration,\" Bram was
\nquoted as saying by Antara.<\/p>\n
He also denied having inflicted losses on the state as the
\nhelicopter was fully intact and operational, and had been
\ndelivered to the Aceh administration.<\/p>\n
\"In fact, I'm the one who has lost out here as a businessman
\nas the Aceh administration has yet to pay the full price of the
\nhelicopter. I'm innocent,\" said Bram.<\/p>\n
Regarding Bram's place of incarceration, it was not
\nimmediately clear on Tuesday whether he would be imprisoned in
\nthe Salemba or Cipinang penitentiaries.<\/p>\n
\"We'll take him first to the KPK offices to make a report.
\nThen we'll decide where Bram will serve his jail term,\" said
\nprosecutor Khaidir.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bram-gets-six-years-in-graft-case-1447893297",
"image": ""
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