Padang court frees graft defendants

Syofiardi Bachyul Jb, The Jakarta Post/Padang

The Padang district court exonerated on Saturday four defendants accused of involvement in a high-profile Rp 7.6 billion (US$808,510) graft case in Mentawai Islands regency.

The four are: regental administration secretary Ridwan Siritubui, administration treasurer Rika Hasnita, chief of finances at the administration D. Lubis and former treasurer Ardi.

Presiding judge Bustami Nusyirwan said in his verdict that prosecutors had failed to explain what the defendants had gained from the money.

"The prosecutors should have explained how the defendants misappropriated the money -- how they spent it, but they failed to do so," said the presiding judge.

The four defendants had initially been brought to court on charges that they had embezzled Rp 16 billion of the regency's 2002 budget of Rp 47.5 billion.

Further investigation had revealed that the defendants "lent" Rp 8.4 billion of the Rp 16 billion to local councillors, the Mentawai Islands regent, deputy regent and other high-ranking officials of the regental administration, according to judge Bustami.

The judge said that all of the funds had been returned to the state by the high-ranking officials.

But, the defendants had failed to provide details of the expenditure of the remaining Rp 7.6 billion, according to the judge.

He said, however, that it was unclear whether the defendants were guilty as the prosecutors had failed to provide sufficient evidence.

The defendants could not be called guilty as they had loaned Rp 8.4 billion of the money and spent the remaining Rp 7.6 billion with the consent of the Mentawai Islands administration, the judge reasoned.

Earlier, prosecutors had demanded that the district court sentence the defendants to five years in jail each.

Responding to the verdict, deputy chief of West Sumatra Prosecutor's Office J. Soehandoyo said that the game was not over yet. He said that prosecutors would file an appeal with the Supreme Court.