Bulyan gets six years for bribery

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 03/18/2009 3:40 PM  |  National

Former legislator Bulyan Royan of the Star Reform Party was sentenced to six years jail on Wednesday for taking bribes in a patrol vessel procurement project at the Transportation Ministry.

“We find the defendant guilty of corruption,” presiding judge Gusrizal said, reading the Corruption Court's verdict.

The panel of judges ruled that Bulyan must pay Rp 350 million (around US$30,000) in fines or serve an additional six months in jail if he fails to pay. The judges issued him a Rp 2 billion fine, of which the $80,000 already confiscated by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is included.

The verdict was less than the 8-year sentence and Rp 500 million fine demanded by KPK prosecutors.

Bulyan has yet to decide whether to appeal the verdict.

Bulyan, member of the House of Representatives’ Commission V on transportation and housing affairs, received Rp 3.4 billion in cash from five shipbuilding firms to secure bids in 2008.

Some of the money was confiscated by the KPK when Bulyan was caught red-handed taking the bribe.

Bulyan told officials of the companies that the House had approved a Rp 300 billion budget for the procurement of 20 patrol boats.

The procurement was divided into five separate packages. He offered these to the companies and demanded a fee of 8 percent in return for securing their appointments.

KPK had said that in 2007, Bulyan received Rp 2 billion from the five companies as down payments to secure the project.

The extrajudicial fee was negotiated to 7 percent and on June 25, 2008, he received an Rp 1.4 billion from Dedy Suwarsono of PT Bina Mina Perkasa through Bulyan’s PT Tetra Dua Sisi account.

Two days later, the defendant withdrew $80,000 at a mall in Jakarta. On June 30, 2008, Bulyan also withdrew $66,000 and 5,500 euros, also at a mall, when KPK officials arrested him.

Dedy was convicted last year and sentenced to four years’ imprisonment for his role in the crime.

The KPK also named two Transportation Ministry officials — director for coastal protection Djoni Anwar Algamar and division head for operational equipment and infrastructure Tansean Parlindungan Malau — as suspects. Djoni allegedly accepted Rp 5 million from Bulyan, while Tansean allegedly got Rp 15.2 million and $2,000. (dre)

 

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