Tue, 12 Aug 2003

Six years in jail sought for regent

Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam, Riau

Prosecutors requested on Monday a six-year sentence for the regent of the Riau Islands, Riau province, in a corruption case involving Rp 3.4 billion (US$3.9 million).

Reading out the charges against Huzrin Hood, prosecutor Firmansyah also asked that the Tanjung Pinang District Court fine him Rp 200 million and immediately detain the defendant, who had been released earlier, despite the charges against him.

Huzrin has been accused of violating Law No. 31/1999 on fight against corruption.

The regent must also return the Rp 3.4 billion he allegedly amassed for his personal fortune, Firmansyah said, and should Huzrin fail to repay the money, the court should hand him an additional two years in jail.

The prosecutors explained that the heavier sentences were prompted by the defendant, who provided twisted statements during the trial.

Huzrin was also found carrying a firearm to his first appearance at court, and failed to set a good example as a regent, Firmansyah added.

The regent has been charged with embezzling from the 2001 budget for the Riau Islands regency.

Prosecutors have already confiscated a store belonging to Huzrin's wife and his five private cars.

Hendie Devitra, one of the defense lawyers, dismissed the charges and said there were underlying political motives against his client.

"The charges laid by the prosecutors are very subjective. Everything is based on their point of view. Just wait for our defense," he said.

The panel of six judges -- presiding judge S. Joko Sungkowo, J. Purba, Yus E. Nidar, Bambang Edi and Syahlan -- adjourned the hearing until Aug. 25, when the defendant and his lawyers will present their plea.

As at previous hearings, some 800 people attended court on Monday to hear the indictment against Huzrin.

Most of the visitors were Huzrin's backers, who packed the courtroom to show support for the defendant. Shortly after judges adjourned Monday's hearing -- held at the Kaca Puri Sports Building in Tanjung Pinang -- they broke into a song of support for the defendant.

Around 100 police officers were on guard at the trial, which was covered by at least 30 journalists from both print and electronic media.

The trial opened on June 23, 2003, with at least 17 witnesses delivering their testimonies at court.

The corruption case surfaced after the Supreme Audit Body filed a report on irregularities involving at least Rp 87.2 billion of the 2001 budget for the Riau Islands.

However, the Riau High Prosecutor's Office found that only Rp 3.4 billion were allegedly misused.

The vast disparity between the figures provided by the auditing body and the Riau Prosecutor's Office was apparently a result of their different auditing criteria.

Huzrin had been detained by the Riau prosecutors in May 2003 for five days at Pekanbaru prison for being uncooperative.

He was then taken to the Tanjung Pinang Prosecutor's Office, which later suspended his detention after the suspect paid Rp 175 million in "assurance money" -- to guarantee that he would not evade the law -- to the local prosecutors.