Nurdin Halid walks free

Nurdin Halid walks free

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In what was seen as a new blow to the national anticorruption
drive, a court here acquitted businessman Nurdin Halid of all
graft charges on Thursday.

The unexpected decision was issued by the South Jakarta
District Court, although prosecutors had demanded that the
defendant be sentenced to 20 years in prison, fined Rp 30 million
(US$3,157) and return the embezzled money.

Nurdin, who is Golkar politician from South Sulawesi, the home
province of Vice President Jusuf Kalla, was charged with misusing
Rp 169.7 billion in state funds allocated for the distribution of
cooking oil from the State Logistics Agency (Bulog).

Dissatisfied with the court verdict, the prosecutors said they
would appeal to the Supreme Court.

"If discussed it comprehensively, we are sure that Nurdin
engaged in graft. But the panel of judges thought otherwise.
Therefore, we will appeal against the verdict with the Supreme
Court," prosecutor Arnold Angkou was quoted by Antara as saying
after Thursday's trial.

He argued that Nurdin, who chairs the Indonesian Distribution
Cooperatives (KDI), should have been convicted of corruption
charges when he decided to delay the payment of the funds to
Bulog.

But the judges led by I Wayan Rena Wardhana found that what
the defendant had done was not against the anticorruption laws.

The court argued that the KDI's decision to use Bulog's funds
to procure and distribute cooking oil ahead of Ramadhan and Idul
Fitri was not in violation of the law, because it was an official
assignment from the government.

"The government did not clearly mention the source of money to
be used (by the KDI) in providing cooking oil stock for Ramadhan
and Idul Fitri," the chief judge said.

Nurdin's acquittal was met with criticism by members of the
House of Representatives, who said the court verdict was another
blow to the national corruption eradication campaign.

"The decision ... was not in line with the government's
efforts to eradicate corruption, bribery and judicial mafia,"
said Anhar Nasution from House Commission III for legal affairs.

Quoted by Antara, he expressed disappointment over the
unpopular verdict.

"People have clearly seen that Nurdin Halid was strongly
involved in the corruption scandal. But why did the court let him
walk?" Anhar said.