Activist Farid Faqih went on trial

Activist Farid Faqih went on trial

ACEH BESAR: The trial of anticorruption activist Farid Faqih, who
is accused of attempting to steal aid destined for tsunami
victims, began in Aceh on Tuesday.

Proceedings at the Jantho Court, Aceh Besar, about 50 km south
of Banda Aceh, started at noon with prosecutors reading an
indictment.

"The defendant Farid Faqih took humanitarian relief aid for
victims of the earthquake and tsunami without asking the owners
of the aid permission or the officers in charge at the airport,
with the defendant having full knowledge the aid was not his,"
prosecutor Nur Alba said.

According to military police sources, the aid arrived by plane
at the Iskandar Muda Air Base in the Blang Bintang area just
outside of Banda Aceh in January. The donations came from the
military officers' wives association and were logged in and
received by a military officer, Capt. T. Syuib Mahmud.

After checking the aid containers on the tarmac, Syuib
reported their arrival to the TNI's operational command. After
handing over the manifest, he went back to the tarmac, but the
containers had gone.

Syuib later discovered the supplies had been loaded onto two
trucks and taken to a warehouse and became outraged. After an
argument, he attacked Farid. Syuib was later sentenced to three
months jail for assault.

Prosecutors said Farid, the coordinator of Government Watch
(GOWA) a non-governmental anticorruption watchdog, had planned to
steal the aid and had violated article 363 and 362 of the
Criminal Code. If convicted, he could be imprisoned for up to
seven years. -- JP