JP\/4\/WALA<\/p>\n
Court overrules appeals by corruption suspects<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Judges at the appellate division of the Anticorruption Court
\nthrew out on Friday the appeals of two government officials who
\nwere found guilty of embezzling Rp 10.8 billion (US$1.16 million)
\nin state funds.<\/p>\n
Led by judge Zaharudin Utama, the court sentenced Harun Letlet
\nto nine years in prison while his colleague Tarsisius Walla was
\ngiven seven years. Both Harun and Tarsisius were formerly senior
\nofficials at the Directorate General for Marine Transportation at
\nthe Ministry of Communications.<\/p>\n
The sentence was higher for Harun than the eight-year sentence
\ngiven at the Anticorruption Court at first instance, but
\nTarsisius' sentence remained the same.<\/p>\n
In its ruling, aside from corruption, the court said the
\nadditional punishment was based on the Article 3 of Law No.
\n31\/1999 on the abuse of power by government officials.<\/p>\n
The two convicts are already in Cipinang penitentiary, East
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
Their lawyer, Sugeng Teguh Santosa said they were not doing
\ntoo well in the prison.<\/p>\n
"The last time I saw them, they were sick. They're not young
\nanymore, and they are stressed out, plus the situation in prison
\nis not very conducive to good health," Sugeng said as quoted by
\nAntara.<\/p>\n
The court said that Harun and Tarsisius were guilty of
\nembezzling the funds allocated for the development of a sea port
\nin Tual, Maluku.<\/p>\n
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which brought the
\ncase to court, accused Harun and Tarsisius of marking up the cost
\nof a 14.5 hectare plot of land that the ministry purchased to
\ndevelop the port.<\/p>\n
The embezzlement caused state losses of Rp 10.8 billion.<\/p>\n
The case is the second ruled on by the Anticorruption Court
\namid an intensive campaign against graft by the administration of
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.<\/p>\n
Early this week, the court sentenced suspended Aceh governor
\nAbdullah Puteh to 10 years in prison for embezzlement in the 2001
\npurchase of a Russian-made MI-2 helicopter for the province,
\nwhich inflicted losses of Rp 3.6 billion ($400,800).<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/jp4wala-1447899208",
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