Akbar gets three years for graft

Akbar gets three years for graft

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Notorious for their corrupt ways, the country's judiciary
sprang another surprise on Wednesday when they sentenced House of
Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung to three years in prison
for corruption.

But the judges seemed to be primarily concerned with restoring
their tarnished image, as they did when they handed down a 15-
year prison sentence to Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra for murder
on July 26.

Akbar's sentence was far below the maximum penalty of 20 years
imprisonment, despite the judges' conclusion that the Golkar
chairman was "found guilty in a convincing way of not only
causing losses to the state but suffering to the poor."
Prosecutors had demanded four years.

Many observers have expressed doubts that Akbar's trial
reflects true law enforcement as political deals marked the legal
process against the leader of an esteemed institution. The trial
failed to uncover what the embezzled fund of the State Logistics
Agency (Bulog) were used for, despite earlier reports that it had
gone into Golkar's coffers.

Co-defendants in the graft case, Dadang Sukandar and Winfried
Simatupang, got 18 months each.

The verdict has no immediate impact on Akbar as he remains
free since he appealed the verdict and will continue to lead the
House.

"I don't feel I am guilty and I will continue my daily duties
as the House speaker and Golkar party chairman. There are a lot
of state duties I have to focus on, including the deliberation of
political bills," Akbar said after the hearing at the Meteorology
and Geophysics Office in Central Jakarta.

However, some politicians in the House, including those from
President Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of
Struggle, expressed their wish to see Akbar suspended following
the verdict.

The sentence also looks set to revive demands within Golkar
for Akbar to be replaced as chairman, which had already been
attempted following Golkar's failure to help B.J. Habibie win the
presidential campaign in 1999. Akbar's status is regarded by his
rivals as Golkar's liability ahead of the 2004 general elections.

The court said Akbar was convicted of misusing Rp 40 billion
(US$4.44 million) in Bulog funds that were supposed to be
earmarked for a poverty alleviation program, when he was
minister/state secretary in 1999 under president Habibie.

The court said Akbar, digressing from proper procedure,
assigned the Raudlatul Jannah Islamic Foundation chaired by
Dadang to manage the project, who then appointed Winfried as the
contractor for the food distribution program -- a program that
never materialized.

The court also said a certain amount of the fund was proven to
have been allocated to buy foreign currency.

"Akbar must have realized his actions helped the two others to
enrich themselves, thus causing losses to the state," presiding
judge Amiruddin Zakaria said.

Amiruddin said the fact that Winfried had returned the money
to the state did not absolve the defendant of his corrupt action.

Akbar tried to maintain his composure when the verdict was
announced but his wife and family wept.

Akbar's lawyers said they would file an appeal with the
Jakarta High Court, while Dadang and Winfried's lawyers said they
would take a week to decide whether or not to appeal.

The trial, which began at 10 a.m. and ended at 7 p.m., was
seen as one of the longest trials held in the country.

It was a crucial event for the country's judicial system,
prone to corrupt practices inherited from the 32-year New Order
regime of Soeharto.

The country's courts have continued to issue various
controversial judgments.

The Jakarta High Court recently overturned a district court
verdict, which found Bank Indonesia Governor Sjahril Syabirin
guilty of corruption. It even acquitted Sjahril of all charges.

Some 220 police officers were deployed to guard the trial as
hundreds of Akbar's staunch supporters had promised to storm the
court.

They disturbed the court at the beginning of the trial, as
some of them escorted Akbar into the courtroom chanting Allahu
Akbar (God is Mighty).

They quietened after Amiruddin warned them that any actions to
disrupt the trial were a crime.

At midday, hundreds of students from various universities in
Jakarta arrived at the court, urging the judges to uphold the
law, not to bow to political pressure and to punish Akbar for
corruption.

But the students failed to enter the courtroom as members of
Golkar's youth wing blocked their way. A small clash occurred as
a result, leaving several students injured.

The students later dispersed peacefully.