Ari Sigit found guilty, but walks free

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The grandson of former president Soeharto, Ari Sigit, was sentenced to two months and 22 days in jail after the Central Jakarta District Court found him guilty of illegal possession of firearms' ammunition.

The charge carries a maximum sentence of death or life in prison.

Monday's verdict meant Ari, also known as Ari Haryo Wibowo, walked free as the jail term was deducted from the time he had already spent behind bars and under house arrest.

Ari, 31, was in jail from Sept. 21 to Oct. 11 at the Salemba Penitentiary in Central Jakarta. A panel of judges later approved Ari's application for house arrest. According to the law, the period a person spends under house arrest is equal to one third of the time spent in jail.

Presiding judge Herri Swantoro said that Ari was guilty of illegally possessing 70 bullets that were found when the police raided his house at Jl. Yusuf Adiwinata 6, Menteng, Central Jakarta, on Aug. 13, 2001.

The raid was held when detectives were searching for the defendant's fugitive uncle, Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, who was finally caught in a house in Bintaro, southern Jakarta, late last month.

Ari said he accepted the verdict while his lawyer, Juan Felix Tampubolon and Prosecutor Surung Aritonang, who earlier asked the court to sentence Ari to one year in jail, said they had not decided whether or not to appeal.

Ari was charged under an article of Emergency Law No. 12/1951 on illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

Prosecutor Surung had earlier said that he asked for a light sentence as he believed the crime had not caused anyone to suffer.