JEC graft case enters first trial

JEC graft case enters first trial

YOGYAKARTA: The Yogyakarta District Court will hold on
Wednesday an initial hearing into the Rp 150 billion corruption
case involving construction of the Jogja Expo Center (JEC), in
which councillor Herman Abdurrahman and dozens of his colleagues
are implicated.

Herman is charged with receiving bribes worth Rp 100 million
from PT. Adhi Karya, the construction company that won the JEC
project, for the legislature's support in facilitating the final
disbursement of project funds from the Yogyakarta provincial
administration.

"During the investigation, he (Herman) admitted to having
bribed over half of the 52 members of the provincial legislative
council," Ranu Miharja, spokesman of the Yogyakarta Provincial
Prosecutor's Office, said.

Herman, who is also head of the United Development Party (PPP)
faction at the provincial legislative council, is facing a
minimum jail term of four years and a fine of Rp 200 million for
violating Law No. 20/2001 on corruption, he said.--JP