Former Banda Aceh Mayor goes on trial for graft<\/p>\n
Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh, Aceh<\/p>\n
Zulkarnain, a former Banda Aceh Mayor, went on trial on Tuesday
\nat the Banda Aceh district court on graft charges.<\/p>\n
In the first hearing on Tuesday, the 48-year-old former mayor
\nwas indicted for embezzling state money for personal gain to the
\ntune of Rp 3.5 billion (US$ 368,421).<\/p>\n
According to prosecutor Moh. Adnan, the graft case began in
\n2002 when the municipality got Rp 10 billion, for the budget item
\nentitled \"funds for people's economic empowerment\".<\/p>\n
The Rp 10 billion was supposed to be used to for soft loans to
\npoor entrepreneurs. It turned out later that only Rp 6.5 billion
\nwas used for that purpose, while the remaining Rp 3.5 billion
\nallegedly went to Zulkarnain, according to the prosecutor.<\/p>\n
The prosecutor added that the defendant had ordered officials
\nat the municipal treasury to transfer the Rp 3.5 billion to his
\naccount. \"The first transfer amounted to Rp 3 billion and the
\nsecond was Rp 500 million,\" said the prosecutor.<\/p>\n
The defendant was charged with violating the law on
\ncorruption, which carries a maximum sentence of death.<\/p>\n
Zulkarnain, who served between 1998 and 2003, was arrested on
\nJanuary 15 this year and incarcerated at Keudah Penitentiary. The
\nsecond hearing will be next week.<\/p>\n
Another top Aceh official who is set to face prosecution on
\ngraft case is Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh. He has been named a
\nsuspect for allegedly marking up the price of a Russian-made
\nhelicopter that the Aceh provincial administration purchased two
\nyears ago.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/former-banda-aceh-mayor-goes-on-trial-for-graft-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}