Supreme Court rejects Huzrin's appeal

Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Suspended Riau Islands regent Huzrin Hood will file a request for judicial review after the Supreme Court upheld his two-year jail sentence for corruption, his lawyer said on Wednesday.

Hendie Devitra said he had verbally been notified that the Supreme Court had rejected his client's appeal against his conviction in a graft case involving Rp 4.3 billion (US$500,000).

"We have prepared the documentation for judicial review ... and will submit it to the Supreme court soon after receiving a copy of the verdict," Hendie said.

The lawyer claimed that he obtained fresh evidence to counter the conviction of his client, but refused to elaborate.

Tanjung Pinang Prosecutor's Office head Tengku Suhaimi Idris confirmed the decision by the Supreme Court and vowed to force Huzrin to serve his jail term, despite the convict's plea for judicial review.

"We shall implement Huzrin Hood's sentence after receiving an official copy of the Supreme Court verdict," he said.

Suhaimi argued that based on Article 268 of the Criminal Code Procedures, a request for judicial review did not suspend or stop the execution of a court verdict.

Huzrin was jailed by the Tanjung Pinang District Court for two years and fined Rp 200 million in September 2003 for stealing Rp 4.3 billion from the Riau Islands budget in 2001. The court also ordered him to repay only Rp 3.4 billion of the stolen money.

Minister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno suspended him as the regent and appointed his deputy Anshar Ahmad as the caretaker.