Nurdin Halid walks free<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
In what was seen as a new blow to the national anticorruption
\ndrive, a court here acquitted businessman Nurdin Halid of all
\ngraft charges on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The unexpected decision was issued by the South Jakarta
\nDistrict Court, although prosecutors had demanded that the
\ndefendant be sentenced to 20 years in prison, fined Rp 30 million
\n(US$3,157) and return the embezzled money.<\/p>\n
Nurdin, who is Golkar politician from South Sulawesi, the home
\nprovince of Vice President Jusuf Kalla, was charged with misusing
\nRp 169.7 billion in state funds allocated for the distribution of
\ncooking oil from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog).<\/p>\n
Dissatisfied with the court verdict, the prosecutors said they
\nwould appeal to the Supreme Court.<\/p>\n
\"If discussed it comprehensively, we are sure that Nurdin
\nengaged in graft. But the panel of judges thought otherwise.
\nTherefore, we will appeal against the verdict with the Supreme
\nCourt,\" prosecutor Arnold Angkou was quoted by Antara as saying
\nafter Thursday's trial.<\/p>\n
He argued that Nurdin, who chairs the Indonesian Distribution
\nCooperatives (KDI), should have been convicted of corruption
\ncharges when he decided to delay the payment of the funds to
\nBulog.<\/p>\n
But the judges led by I Wayan Rena Wardhana found that what
\nthe defendant had done was not against the anticorruption laws.<\/p>\n
The court argued that the KDI's decision to use Bulog's funds
\nto procure and distribute cooking oil ahead of Ramadhan and Idul
\nFitri was not in violation of the law, because it was an official
\nassignment from the government.<\/p>\n
\"The government did not clearly mention the source of money to
\nbe used (by the KDI) in providing cooking oil stock for Ramadhan
\nand Idul Fitri,\" the chief judge said.<\/p>\n
Nurdin's acquittal was met with criticism by members of the
\nHouse of Representatives, who said the court verdict was another
\nblow to the national corruption eradication campaign.<\/p>\n
\"The decision ... was not in line with the government's
\nefforts to eradicate corruption, bribery and judicial mafia,\"
\nsaid Anhar Nasution from House Commission III for legal affairs.<\/p>\n
Quoted by Antara, he expressed disappointment over the
\nunpopular verdict.<\/p>\n
\"People have clearly seen that Nurdin Halid was strongly
\ninvolved in the corruption scandal. But why did the court let him
\nwalk?\" Anhar said.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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