At 9:10 a.m., he stepped out of the iron door and greeted dozens of his supporters from the Asli Garut Jaya organization. They handed him a garland of jasmine.

His other supporters from the Sundanese Community Body also handed him a Sundanese kujang dagger and headband.

“I’ve done nothing wrong. I served my time in prison to pay for my share of responsibility as [former] Bank Indonesia governor,” he told his supporters.

While in prison, he said he had no regrets but was grateful that he had met new friends.

“I spent two years in this pesantren [Islamic boarding school]. I never felt sick. I felt healthy, sane and full of hope.”

Upon his release, he said he would dedicate himself to the community, but provided no details on his charitable plans.

“I’ll close the door or my past and will take this experience as part of the history of my life.”

Burhanuddin was initially convicted and sentenced to five years in prison by the Corruption Court for his role in approving the illegal disbursement of Rp 100 billion [US$10.86million] from BI’s Indonesian Banking Development Foundation in 2003.

The money was used to pay the legal fees of five former BI deputy governors implicated in the BI liquidity support [BLBI] graft cases, and to push through an amendment to the BI law at the House of Representatives.

He appealed the verdict in January but the high court responded by adding six months to his sentence.

But in August last year, the Supreme Court cut his sentence to three years, down from the five-and-a-half years handed down by an appeals court.

The court said the mitigating factor that led to the reduction was the fact that Burhanuddin had not
benefited personally from the disbursement of funds, as well as the fact that he was a recipient of the 2007 Bintang Maha Putra Utama Award, given to civil servants who have given meritorious service to the country.

Sukamiskin warden Murdjito, said that based on the court ruling, Burhanuddin should be freed on April 10 next year, after serving his sentence in the Bandung prison since Aug. 28, 2009.

“He has carried out two-thirds of his term in prison,” Murdjito said.

Before being transferred to Sukamiskin, Barhanuddin was held in police detention and at Cipinang penitentiary.


He was sentenced to five years in jail in October 2008 for his part in the misuse of Rp 100 billion in BI fund in 2004.

Popular

Volcano erupts in North Sulawesi, hundreds evacuated

Dubai roads, airport reel from floods after record rains

Ramadan boosts consumer confidence, retail sales