Former deputy governor gets 30 months in jail for graft

Former deputy governor gets 30 months in jail for graft

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

After a trial lasting more than one year, the Bandung District
Court sentenced on Monday former West Java deputy governor Ukman
Sutaryan to two years and six months in prison for corruption
causing losses of Rp 27.9 billion to the state.

He was found guilty of enriching himself, or an organization,
directly or indirectly using state funds, and of violating Law
No. 3/1971 on the eradication of corruption.

Ukman is currently the chairman of the West Java branch of the
Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI) founded by
former president B.J. Habibie.

Presiding Judge Hazli Saleh said that based on the testimony
of 33 witnesses, including West Java Governor Nuriana, it had
been proved that Ukman had disbursed Rp 27.9 billion from the
budget to bank accounts belonging to his Islamic Al-Ihsan
Foundation for the development of a hospital in South Bandung.

The funds were paid out when the defendant served as
secretary of the provincial administration and a deputy governor
overseeing economic affairs between 1993 and 1999.

"When serving as the provincial administration secretary and
deputy governor, Ukman abused his authority by issuing an order
to his subordinates to disburse the funds to the Al-Ihsan
Foundation in larger amounts than had been authorized to other
social organizations in West Java without the permission of the
governor," Hazli told the court.

He said the defendant had used Rp 5.8 billion of the funds for
his own benefit, including Rp 200 million that was invested in
the Bandung Post daily, the purchase of 21,000 square meters of
land in Lembang and Rp 80 million for his Toyota Corona sedan,
while the remaining of Rp 22 billion was used for the Al-Ihsan
Hospital project.

The 2.6-year sentence was much lighter compared to the 10-
years imprisonment and Rp 30 million in fines earlier sought by
prosecutor Basuni Masyarief, who also demanded that the
defendant, 67, return Rp 27.9 billion of the misappropriated
funds.

However, the judges ordered Ukman only to pay a fine of Rp 15
million and return Rp 5.8 billion of the misappropriated funds,
and instructed the local authorities to confiscate the assets of
the hospital and the sedan.

Since he was charged with corruption in March last year, Ukman
has managed to escape detention, except for house arrest, thanks
to support from former senior local officials.

Despite the court verdict, Ukman will not be brought directly
to jail after doctors from the Al-Ihsan Hospital claimed the
defendant was ill.

Ukman's lawyer Farhat Abbas, who is the new husband of noted
singer and artist Nia Daniati, said his client would appeal
against the verdict, claiming it was politically motivated.

As the sentence was being read out, around 200 supporters of
Ukman grouped in the Muslim Community Defenders' Front (FPUI)
protested at the court to demand that the defendant be acquitted.
"Pak Ukman has rendered a service in building a hospital for
Muslims. How could such a good man be convicted," one of the
protest leaders said.

The protesters threatened to attack the judges, but police
blocked their progress and moved them away.