Ex-regent gets one-year jail term

PADANG, West Sumatra: The nation-wide antigraft campaign against past corruption took a new toll on Monday with the imprisonment for one-year of former Padang Pariaman regent, Nasrul Syahdun, and his former assistant, Masri Kasim.

Presiding judge, M. Syariffuddin, told a hearing that the two defendants were found guilty of swindling Rp 1.1 billion of state funds from a project to build a bus terminal in June last year.

Masri was the project officer of the construction of the Rp 3 billion terminal.

The sentences were milder than the prosecutors' demand of three years and five months in prison.

But the two face additional jail terms of three months if they fail to pay fines of Rp 15 million each.

Hundreds of people attending the hearing jeered the former regent, who was dismissed in December last year in connection with the case. (27)