SBY swears in Syamsul despite protest

Fri, 03/28/2008 11:27 AM

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono swore in elected General Elections Commission (KPU) member Syamsul Bahri (photo above) at the Presidential Palace on Thursday.

Syamsul was elected by the House of Representatives as one of seven KPU members, but the government postponed his inauguration pending the outcome of his graft trial.

The professor at the School of Agriculture at Malang's Brawijaya University was accused of illegally distributing Rp 489.3 million (US$53,185), allocated by Brawijaya University's Student Research Institute for the construction of Kigumas sugar factory in Malang, to parties involved in the project.

The prosecutors have demanded the court sentence Syamsul to two years in prison, fine him Rp 50 million and order him to pay Rp 489.3 million in compensation to the state. Syamsul, who was detained for more than a month before the court released him on city detention, was acquitted of all charges by the district court on March 13.

In a previous meeting, the government and the House decided the Malang district court's verdict would determine whether Syamsul would be sworn in. -- JP

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