Puteh's trial a test for war on corruption

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The government's anti-graft campaign will be put to the test on Monday, when Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Governor Abdullah Puteh goes on trial for alleged graft involving Rp 4 billion (US$440,000) in state losses.

The Anticorruption Court trying Puteh is under supervision of the Central Jakarta District Court, and will take 80 days to deliver a verdict on the case, its first. In other high-profile cases, judges took at least three months to deliver a verdict.

The trial will be held in a 400-square-meter ad hoc courtroom at the Upindo Building on Jl. Rasuna Said in South Jakarta. A basement facility has been equipped with a large TV monitor to accommodate additional observers.

Central Jakarta District Court president I Made Karna told reporters on Friday that the court will schedule three hearings a week to complete the trial on time.

"We will give the defendant 10 days following the verdict -- which is to be delivered within 80 days of the trial's opening -- to file an appeal," Karna told reporters after meeting Chief Justice Bagir Manan.

Five judges who have completed a special training workshop on law and corruption have been appointed to Puteh's trial; of the five, two are non-career judges.

"We are ready to start the trial," Karna asserted.

The government is suspending Puteh's duties as Aceh governor for the duration of the trial.

Puteh's case tops the anticorruption drive launched by the government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, which also seeks to recover state money lost in the graft cases.

Puteh was investigated initially under the previous government of Megawati Soekarnoputri for his suspected role in marking up Russian helicopters purchased in 2001.

Since taking office in October, Susilo has permitted law enforcers to question three governors in connection with graft. Of the three, two -- West Sumatra Governor Zainal Bakar and Banten Governor Djoko Munandar -- have been named suspects.

Some 40 witnesses are expected to testify against Puteh in the trial brought by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors Chaidir Ramli, Wisnu Baroto and Yessy Esmeralda.

Puteh is the first high-profile case to be brought forth by the KPK to the newly established Anticorruption Court. The two institutions were set up by the government and the Supreme Court respectively in response to public disappointment over the judiciary's poor performance in combating the country's endemic corruption.

The KPK is charging Puteh under Article 2, Paragraph 1 of Law No. 31/1999 on corruption eradication, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years. The indictment accuses Puteh of ordering a Russian-made Mi-2 helicopter and proceeding with the extra- budgetary purchase without the consent of the Aceh legislative council.

The governor is also accused of illegally rechanneling Rp 700 million from the budgets of the province's 13 regental and municipal administrations to pay for the aircraft.

In addition, Puteh allegedly diverted Rp 35 billion from routine spending and Rp 9.1 billion from the special funds allocated by the central government to regional administrations in Aceh.