Two ex-soldiers jailed for counterfeiting<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Two former servicemen, Ismail Putra and Eddy
\nKereh, were sentenced on Thursday to seven years and four years
\nin jail respectively, for their roles in producing Rp 19.2
\nbillion (US$2.2 million) in counterfeit money.<\/p>\n
Judge Poerwanto of the Central Jakarta District Court showed
\nsome leniency toward the two defendants, declining to sentence
\nthem to the eight years sought by state prosecutors or the
\nmaximum 15 years allowed under Article 244 of the Criminal Code.<\/p>\n
\"The defendants are in their 60s. Eddy in particular has
\ndevoted his life to the country and earned many medals during his
\nservice in the Navy,\" the judge said.<\/p>\n
He said their roles in a counterfeiting syndicate ranged from
\nprocuring printing paper to finding printers.<\/p>\n
Ismail, 64, a former member of the Army's Combat Intelligence
\nUnit, is from Duren Sawit in East Jakarta. Eddy is a retired Navy
\nofficer who is already serving a 1.5-year jail term for another
\ncounterfeiting conviction.<\/p>\n
The two defendants declined lawyers, choosing to defend
\nthemselves during the trial.<\/p>\n
While the two defendants have been found guilty and sentence,
\nthere is one unanswered question remaining in the case: what, if
\nany, was the role of Army Chief of Staff Gen. Tyasno Sudarto in
\nthe counterfeiting syndicate.<\/p>\n
In one of the court sessions, Ismail said Tyasno worked with
\nthe syndicate last year when he was chief of the Military's
\nIntelligence Board (BIA).<\/p>\n
In spite of the allegation, the prosecutor in the case,
\nSoejitno, refused to call Tyasno to the stand, saying he did not
\nhave enough evidence linking Tyasno to the case. The panel of
\njudges also declined requests by lawyers of other defendants in
\nthe case to summon Tyasno.<\/p>\n
The general has publicly denied the allegation, which he has
\ndescribed as a lie and slander.<\/p>\n
When pressed by reporters, Soejitno defended on Thursday his
\ndecision not to involve Tyasno in the trial.<\/p>\n
\"It was the job of (police) investigators to involve the
\nmilitary police in this case, and to find out if Gen. Tyasno was
\ninvolved.<\/p>\n
\"This case is about counterfeit money. I have evidence that
\nboth defendants were involved in its production,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Ismail said he was disappointed with the court's decision,
\ninsisting that as a former soldier, he was only acting on orders
\nfrom his superiors.<\/p>\n
\"Gen. Tyasno told me that Gen. Wiranto had picked BIA to run
\nthe counterfeit money operation to fund the (pro-Indonesia) East
\nTimorese militias,\" he said after the verdict.<\/p>\n
Gen. Wiranto was chief of the Indonesian Military until
\nOctober last year.<\/p>\n
\"He (Tyasno) told me that the Army could not afford to lose
\nEast Timor. He said I had to do this for the Army,\" Ismail said.<\/p>\n
\"The face of the general in recent magazines is very similar
\nto the face of the man who made me the offer,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The two men told the court they needed time to decide whether
\nto appeal the verdicts.<\/p>\n
Eddy continues to proclaim his innocence, saying he was only a
\ndriver for Ismail.<\/p>\n
Judge Poerwanto gave them seven days to decide if they will
\nappeal.<\/p>\n
Ismail and Eddy were the first of 10 defendants to be
\nsentenced in the counterfeiting case. The eight other defendants
\nstill on trial are Yustinus Kasminto, Junie, A. Khui, alias Ardy
\nSukarman, Ramelan, Bambang, Triyono, Slamet and Tono.<\/p>\n
All 10 were arrested in February at a printing company on Jl.
\nPalmerah Barat in West Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Earlier at a separate hearing, Kasminto and Junie pleaded not
\nguilty to charges of producing counterfeit money.<\/p>\n
The prosecutors in the trial have demanded 4.5-year jail terms
\nfor both defendants.<\/p>\n
Kasminto's lawyer, Yanuar Bagus Sasmito, accused the
\nprosecutors of attempting to gain popularity through the trial,
\nsaying the evidence against his client was baseless.<\/p>\n
Kasminto was the owner of the printer used by the syndicate to
\nproduce the counterfeit money, but he insists he had no knowledge
\nthe printer was being used to make counterfeit money.<\/p>\n
\"My client has nothing to do with the production of fake
\nmoney, much less selling it,\" Yanuar said. (ylt)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/two-ex-soldiers-jailed-for-counterfeiting-1447893297",
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