Court finds Mulyana guilty<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
General Elections Commission (KPU) member Mulyana W. Kusumah and
\nacting secretary general of the commission Sussongko Suhardjo
\nwere declared guilty by a court on Monday of attempting to bribe
\na state auditor in a high profile case linked to alleged
\ncorruption during last year's general elections.<\/p>\n
The anticorruption court sentenced Mulyana to 31 months in
\njail, while Sussongko was given a 30-month sentence.<\/p>\n
Mulyana, who is also a noted criminologist and a pro-democracy
\nactivist, was caught red-handed in April by the Corruption
\nEradication Commission (KPK) as he attempted to bribe a Supreme
\nAudit Agency (BPK) auditor at a Jakarta hotel. The auditor, who
\nwas cooperating with the KPK, was wired with a recorder during
\nthe meeting.<\/p>\n
The bribe was meant to influence the audit results and ensure
\nthat the KPU was declared graft-free in organizing the 2004
\ngeneral elections, which saw President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
\nrise to power in the country's first direct presidential
\nelection.<\/p>\n
The crime, according to the panel of five judges, took place
\nas \"Mulyana and some KPU members and officials were concerned
\nthat the investigative audit by a team from the BPK might uncover
\nthe KKN (corruption practices) in the procurement of ballot
\nboxes.\"<\/p>\n
The judges referred to the Indonesian acronym meaning
\ncorruption, collusion and nepotism.<\/p>\n
Mulyana was responsible for the ballot box procurement.<\/p>\n
\"As a KPU member and criminologist, the defendant knows that
\nwhat he did was against the law, but he continued to do it,\"
\npresiding Judge Masrudin Chaniago said.<\/p>\n
\"The crime has tarnished the image of KPU as a respected
\ninstitution,\" Masrudin said.<\/p>\n
Wearing a black suit, Mulyana looked relaxed, smiling at
\nphotographers and cameramen.<\/p>\n
The same panel of judges declared Sussongko guilty in a
\nseparate session later in the day.<\/p>\n
Sussongko has admitted the crime, saying that it was KPU chief
\nNazaruddin Syamsuddin who had ordered a bribe payment for the
\nstate auditor in order to influence the audit results.<\/p>\n
The court said that the time Mulyana and Sussongko had already
\nspent in detention would be deducted from their sentences and
\nthey must each pay a fine of Rp 50 million (US$4,878).<\/p>\n
Prosecutors, who recommended a three-year jail sentences for
\nboth Mulyana and Sussongko, said they would appeal the verdict.
\nMulyana and Sussongko have yet to decide whether to appeal. They
\nhave seven days to decide whether to appeal or accept their
\nrespective verdicts.<\/p>\n
The bribery case had opened the way for the KPK to launch a
\nseries of investigations into alleged corruption of state funds
\nat the KPU during the implementation of the general elections.<\/p>\n
Graft charges against Nazaruddin and other top KPU officials
\nand members are currently being heard in a separate trial.<\/p>\n
The corruption charges centered on the mark-up of election
\nexpenses including the procurement of election materials and
\nservices. KPU officials had also been accused of collecting
\nmillions of dollars in kick-backs from companies that won
\nprocurement contracts from the KPU.<\/p>\n
Nazaruddin is facing a possible jail sentence of 20 years.<\/p>\n
The KPK are continuing to question other KPU members and
\nofficials to resolve the high profile corruption case.<\/p>\n
BPK chairman Anwar Nasution has said his team found 33
\nindications of irregularities in the provision of equipment and
\nservices to support the legislative and presidential elections in
\n2004.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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