Regent could face life in prison for corruption

JAKARTA: Situbondo Regent Ismunarso was officially indicted of embezzling Rp 43.8 billion (US$3.8 million) from his administration's budget by personally claiming the interest on the regency's bank deposits.

"The defendant managed and used Situbondo regency's budget between 2005 and 2007 by depositing it at a special rate in PT BNI 46 and used it to invest in PT Sentra Artha Futures and PT Sentra Artha Utama," prosecutor Agus Salim said, reading out the indictment at the Corruption Court on Wednesday.

He said the regent had claimed the interest at the special rate from October 2005 to August 2006 and invested it in the two companies from September 2006 to March 2007.

The illegal practice netted the defendant some Rp 1.1 billion, finance official I Nengah Suarnata Rp 391 million, treasurer Juliningsih Rp 406 million, another local official Endar Yuni RS Rp 2 billion, local BNI head Darwin Siregar Rp 1.1 billion, and PT SAF/PT SAU some Rp 43.7 billion.

The regent was charged with violating Article 2 (1) regarding enriching one's self, other people or corporations in the 1999 anticorruption law, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. -JP