Bram gets six years in graft case
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Anticorruption Court sent businessman Bram HD Manoppo to jail for six months on Tuesday after finding him guilty of defrauding the state during the purchase of a Russian-made MI-2 helicopter for the Aceh administration.
The court also ordered Bram, who heads the PT Putra Pobiagan Mandiri (PPM) company, to pay a Rp 200 million (about US$20,000) fine and make restitution of Rp 3.6 billion for the losses he inflicted on the state.
Presiding Judge Gus Rizal said Bram was guilty of illegally enriching himself with state money through corrupt means in the purchase of the helicopter in 2001, which also involved dismissed Aceh governor Abdullah Puteh.
Puteh himself had been previously sentenced by the same court to 10 years in jail, ordered to pay Rp 500 million in fines and make good the losses he had inflicted on the state.
The Supreme Court last week upheld the jail sentence and asked Puteh to pay Rp 6.6 billion in restitution within one month.
During a previous hearing, prosecutors from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said Bram had received a Rp 750 million down payment for the helicopter purchase despite the absence of an official agreement.
Bram's sentence was one year lighter than recommended by the prosecution. If he fails to pay Rp 3.6 billion in restitution as ordered, he will have to spend another six months behind bars.
According to the prosecution, among the compounding factors in the case were the fact that Bram had engaged in graft amid the efforts by the state to stamp out corruption, that the purchase was in violation of the procedures and that Bram had given misleading answers during his trial.
"As for mitigating factors, he was well-behaved and polite during the trial, has a family to support and is already of advanced age," said Khaidir Ramli, one of the prosecutors.
After the verdict was read out, Bram immediately said he would appeal, saying he was innocent.
"I'm appealing as the helicopter is still a valuable asset, while the court failed to take this into consideration," Bram was quoted as saying by Antara.
He also denied having inflicted losses on the state as the helicopter was fully intact and operational, and had been delivered to the Aceh administration.
"In fact, I'm the one who has lost out here as a businessman as the Aceh administration has yet to pay the full price of the helicopter. I'm innocent," said Bram.
Regarding Bram's place of incarceration, it was not immediately clear on Tuesday whether he would be imprisoned in the Salemba or Cipinang penitentiaries.
"We'll take him first to the KPK offices to make a report. Then we'll decide where Bram will serve his jail term," said prosecutor Khaidir.