Governor-elect faces 10 months in prison<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso HN, The Jakarta Post, Bandarlampung, Lampung<\/p>\n
Prosecutors sought on Monday only a 10-month-jail term for the
\ngovernor-elect of Lampung, M. Alzier Dianis Thabranie, who is
\ncharged with fraud and falsifying a document before his election
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Based on testimonies by 15 witnesses, he was found guilty in a
\nfraud case involving 500 tons of fertilizer worth Rp 502.5
\nmillion (US$59117) from state-owned firm PT Pusri, and of using
\nan illegal diploma, said prosecutor R. Onggan Siahaan.<\/p>\n
Siahaan requested that the Tanjungkarang District Court fine
\nAlzier Rp 4 million or serve six months in jail.<\/p>\n
The governor-elect looked tense while the prosecution read out
\ntheir recommended sentence, which started at 11 a.m. and took 3.5
\nhours.<\/p>\n
The fraud took place in January 2001 when Alzier was serving
\nas the president director of CV Wisata, which reportedly bought
\n500 tons of fertilizer from PT Pusri with blank checks.<\/p>\n
Siahaan said that to convince PT Pusri to approve his
\npurchasing order, Alzier used forged university degrees from a
\nJakarta institution.<\/p>\n
Presiding judge S. Gani Parlaungan adjourned the hearing until
\nJan. 12, 2004, when the defense would be heard.<\/p>\n
Commenting on the lenient sentence requested for Alzier,
\nanticorruption activist Ahmad Yulden Erwin said it showed that
\nthe prosecutors were \"insensitive\" in dealing with graft cases.<\/p>\n
\"PT Pusri's losses were caused by Alzier. And it's clearly
\ncorruption. So why is he not being charged under the
\nAnticorruption Law?\" he said.<\/p>\n
Legal expert Armen Yasir from the University of Lampung said
\nthe lenient sentence for Alzier showed that the trial was merely
\na sham.<\/p>\n
If it had been serious, the prosecutors should have sought a
\nmaximum penalty of five years in prison for the elected governor,
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
Alzier was elected the governor of Lampung on Dec. 30, 2002,
\ndefeating then-incumbent governor Oemarsono, who was backed by
\nPresident Megawati Soekarnoputri.<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, the central government annulled Alzier's
\nelectoral victory after having delayed installing Alzier for
\nmonths, claiming the election had breached existing procedures.<\/p>\n
Police then laid graft charges against the governor-elect, and
\nMinister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno recommended a revote to
\nelect another governor while installing his aide as the acting
\ngovernor for the province.<\/p>\n
Most factions in the Lampung legislative council agreed with
\nthe call for a revote and council leaders vowed to file a
\njudicial review to challenge Hari's annulment of Alzier's
\nelection.<\/p>\n
Alzier is reportedly preparing a legal action against the
\ncentral government over the annulment.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/governor-elect-faces-10-months-in-prison-1447893297",
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