Court dismisses charges against ill West Lombok regent

The Corruption Court has dropped all charges against West Lombok regent Iskandar, after ruling he was too ill, physically and psychologically, to stand trial in a graft case over a land-exchange deal in the regency.

Presiding judge Gusrizal said Thursday the panel of judges could not continue the trial and would return the case to prosecutors representing the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Gusrizal added the defendant's illness would disrupt the trial, as Iskandar might create his own story and not help for further examination into the case.

“We have referred to the doctors’ reports saying Iskandar suffers from dementia, which causes him difficulty remembering important facts about the case. Thus we are dismissing all the charges and freeing him from jail,” he told tempointeraktif.com.

Previously, two doctors who examined Iskandar told the court the defendant suffered from dementia, a progressive decline in cognitive function. They added he also suffered from stroke and diabetes.

Iskandar is a suspect in a case that revolves around a land-exchange deal involving the West Lombok regency administration and private company PT Valindo Lombok Inti. Under the office-exchange deal, struck between 2004 and 2005, the headquarters of the West Lombok administration moved to an office complex outside of Mataram.

The KPK says the state suffered Rp 18 billion (US$1.6 million) in losses from the case. (ewd)