Puteh caused no state losses: Expert
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
An expert testifying in the trial of Abdullah Puteh told the Anticorruption Court in Central Jakarta on Monday that no losses had been inflicted on the state in the purchase of a Russian-made helicopter because the transaction had not been completed.
"There is no way we can calculate state losses, or even revenue, if a project has not been completed," said Suyatna Sunu Subrata, a former deputy of special investigations at the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP).
Abdullah Puteh has been suspended as governor of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam for alleged corruption in the helicopter purchase.
The BPKP previously filed an audit report on the transaction, saying that the Aceh administration had disbursed some Rp 13.6 billion (US$1.48 million) for the purchase of an MI-2 helicopter. The audit agency said that in comparison, the Indonesian Navy only paid Rp 6 billion for the same type of helicopter, thus raising suspicion of a markup in the transaction.
Suyatna, an accounting expert, said that since the contract between the Aceh administration and PT Putra Pobiagan Mandiri (PPM), the broker in the deal, had not been finalized, the BPKP audit was invalid.
Puteh and other Aceh administration officials said in previous testimonies that the administration was withholding a Rp 562 million payment to PPM because PPM had not completed its obligation to train pilots for the chopper, which has been delivered.
Suyatna said that the BPKP had also made a mistake by excluding the value of the chopper in calculating the state's losses.
A BPKP official previously said that it had excluded the value of the chopper when calculating state losses because of improper purchasing procedures, such as the transaction being included in the provincial budget, and some of the funds came from all 13 regencies in the province.
"Procedures are a way of doing things, while prices are things attached to items. They're different things. Even rubble has a price; how come a helicopter has none?" said the 75-year-old Suyatna.
Puteh was initially charged with causing Rp 13.6 billion in state losses. Since he returned Rp 3.6 billion to the administration, the losses were reduced to Rp 10.6 billion. He could face a life sentence or a Rp 1 billion fine if convicted.
The prosecution objected to Suyatna being used as an expert witness, since he has been retired for 13 years.
"For the record, we reject all of the expert's statements because he no longer understands how to calculate state losses," Khaidir Ramli, the chief prosecutor, said.
Suyatna's testimony contradicted previous testimony given by an expert for the prosecution, Handoyo Sudrajat, who was Suyatna's subordinate at the BPKP.
Puteh's lawyers, for their part, summoned Suyatna to prove that the case against their client was weak.
"If this case is based on the auditing report, why did they audit when the project had not been completed? Moreover, how can there be a trial if the report is invalid?" queried one of Puteh's lawyers, Rocky Awondatu. (006)