Puteh case goes to court next week

Puteh case goes to court next week

Eva C. Komandjaja and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) expects to prosecute
Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Governor Abdullah Puteh early next week,
while the National Police are wrapping up an investigation into
another graft case allegedly involving Puteh.

"We plan to submit his case early next week," Erry Riyana
Hardjapamekas of the commission said on Friday.

The KPK detained Puteh after naming him a suspect in the
alleged markup in the purchase of a Russian helicopter by the
Aceh administration in 2001. The case is thought to have cost the
state about Rp 4 billion (US$440,000).

The announcement coincides with the arrival in Jakarta of six
judges for the Anti-Corruption Court.

Soeparno, the head of the criminal affairs division at the
Supreme Court, said his office had arranged all of the
administrative and practical matters for the judges, including
their accommodations in Jakarta.

All of the judges for the newly established Anti-Corruption
Court, which will be housed under the same roof as the Central
Jakarta District Court, are from outside Jakarta.

Separately, the head of the anti-corruption division at the
National Police, Brig. Gen. Indarto, said on Friday the police
were waiting for some revised data from the Supreme Audit Agency
to be used to prosecute Puteh for a separate Rp 30 billion graft
case.

Puteh was allegedly involved in a markup on the purchase of
power generators in 2002.

The governor was questioned as a witness in this case and
denied any involvement in the matter, claiming the purchase had
been approved by the Aceh legislative council.

However, Indarto said such purchases had to be approved by all
members of the council during a plenary meeting, while the
purchase of the generators never went through this process.

"Only the council chairman signed the approval, which means
there was a violation in the system that led to the misuse of the
funds," Indarto said.

National Police chief of detectives Comr. Gen. Suyitno Landung
said Puteh would be tried in the generator case in Aceh, along
with local businessman William Taylor.

Taylor was the contractor appointed by state electricity firm
PLN to carry out the purchases. His testimony led police to
question Puteh.

"We hope to finish the investigation of the case within the
next 100 days," Indarto said.