Former tofu boss gets 4 years for corruption

JAKARTA (JP): Marzuki Bazis, 37, former head of the Indonesian Tofu Soybean Cooperatives (Kopti), sat silent on Thursday when a packed courtroom cheered after Judge Bay Bastur sentenced him to a four-year jail term for embezzling Rp 1.7 billion (US$195,400) of the cooperatives' funds.

"The defendant has violated Article 374 of the Criminal Code on embezzlement," Bastur told the hearing, amidst shouts and cheers by the spectators at the West Jakarta District Court.

"You (Marzuki) deserve it... you put us in so much misery," said one man in the gallery, while another man hailed the judge for administering such a severe penalty for corruption.

"Judge Bastur, you have shown that you are not afraid to throw corruptors in jail. You are great. Justice has been served," the man said.

In response, Marzuki immediately said he would appeal the case to the Jakarta High Court.

The sentence was exactly the same as demanded by prosecutor Fachrudin, who grinned upon hearing the verdict.

In an initial hearing, Marzuki was nearly mobbed by spectators while the prosecutor and judges looked on in fear, because no witnesses had appeared.

Spectators, sensing something was wrong, immediately started blaming the prosecutor and judges for taking bribes in the case.

"That man deserves to be beaten," a spectator shouted at Marzuki. Police officers secured the courtroom and prevented any violence.

City Police detectives arrested the defendant last year for embezzling Rp 1.7 billion. The money had been paid by Kopti's 670 members as down payment for a cooperatives housing complex in the Samanan area of Kalideres, West Jakarta.

Marzuki urged the members in 1997 to invest in a housing complex in the Samanan area, telling them that the area was safe and the land was cheap.

Trusting him, each Kopti member paid a down payment, ranging between Rp 5 million and Rp 7.5 million.

In 1999, when all the members had paid and had heard nothing from Marzuki, they decided to visit the Samanan area and were shocked to see that there was no land being purchased for the cooperatives.

When they arrived at Marzuki's house in Kalideres, he told them that their money was in an account at Bank Bumi Daya.

The members received yet another shock, when they found that the account number at the bank, was Marzuki's own personal account.

They immediately reported the case to the West Jakarta police. (ylt)