Witness says Puteh returned money

Witness says Puteh returned money

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Aceh administration secretary Tantawi Ishak testified at the
graft trial of Abdullah Puteh on Tuesday that the suspended
governor had not returned all of the Rp 7.75 billion (US$861,111)
transferred to his account.
Earlier on Monday, Aceh's treasurer Zainudin told the same
trial that he had transferred in 2002 the money into Puteh's
personal account for the purchase of a Russian-made helicopter.

"The governor returned Rp 1.3 billion on July 24, 2003 and
another Rp 2.3 billion, plus Rp 15 million in interest, on July
6, a year later, to the province's treasury," Tantawi told the
AntiCorruption Court in Central Jakarta.

He said the Rp 3.6 billion was money that had not been
released by Puteh to PT Putra Pobiagan Mandiri (PT PPM), the
broker of the MI-2 helicopter, as the company had failed to
fulfill its commitment to train the pilots of the choppers, the
secretary added.

Prosecutors said the money had been returned after the
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) began its probe into
Puteh on charges of marking up the price of the helicopter.

When asked by the judges whether the governor was allowed to
use his personal account for official business, Tantawi said
that, as the highest authority in the province, the governor was
allowed to do so.

"I am not aware of any regulation that prohibits the use of a
personal account for such a purpose," the witness said.

After the hearing, Tantawi told The Jakarta Post that Puteh
opened Account No. 01.01.038.492 at Bank Bukopin after being
elected in 2000 as Aceh governor.

"So, the account was opened under Abdullah Puteh's name as the
governor but it was not a personal account," Tantawi said.

Another witness, Adi Bramantya, from Bank Bukopin admitted
that Puteh's account was opened as a personal account, not an
official one.

Commenting on this issue, a professor specializing in
administrative law, Ryaas Rasyid, said the use of a personal
account for official business violated regulations on financial
administration.

"Everybody has the right to have a personal account, but it
cannot be used for official business. Purchasing a helicopter is
official business, therefore the use of a personal account is not
permitted under the law," he said.

Ryaas said that even though Puteh had returned the money, he
had still breached the law and should be held accountable.

"I heard that he returned the money after he was investigated
by the KPK. That won't annul the fact that he violated
administrative regulations," the expert said. (006)