Puteh's trial a test for war on corruption

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.