KPK monitors graft trial after suspect acquitted

The antigraft commission stepped in to monitor and videotape a hearing session of a graft trial of a local government official in Bandung on Thursday, after the court acquitted another defendant in the same case of all legal charges.

The hearing session put Priana Witasaputra on the defendant’s stand at the Bandung State Court on Thursday for his alleged involvement in the embezzlement of Rp 2.5 billion (US$277,780) when he was the official in charge of economic affairs at the Bandung municipality in 2005.

The court acquitted Iwan Suhermawan, another suspect in the case, in February.

Bandung prosecutors John Tanamal and Roy read the charges, as a team from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and a monitoring team from Parahyangan University taped the hearing process .

The prosecutors said Priana was guilty of awarding CV Usaha Mandiri a project of relocating street vendors from seven locations without conducting a bidding tender, as stipulated by law.

Street vendors were a major problem in the city, because they caused traffic congestion.

“With his position as the manager of the city’s financial affairs, he transferred a fund of Rp 2.13 billion to Iwan for the relocation project. The fund should have been returned to the state coffer,” John said.

Iwan is CV Usaha Mandiri’s director.

The prosecutors also said the number of street vendors had been exaggerated in the fund proposal, from the actual number of 1,400 to 1,700. They said the fund should have been used to stimulate economic development.

Judge Joko Siswanto acquitted Iwan of all charges on Feb. 3, saying that although he had been proven to have violated the law, he had not committed a crime. The judge said Iwan was guilty of a civil violation and that he deserved to go free.

In the indictment read during Thursday’s session, the prosecutors referred to articles 2 and 3 of the corruption law, which state that anyone found to have enriched themselves or other people or a corporate institution can be deemed to have disadvantaged the state, and are liable to face between 1 and 20 years’ imprisonment.

Budi Prastowo, from Parahyangan University, said his team had been asked to assist the KPK in taping the trial. “If irregularities are found, the KPK will interfere,” he said.

In a separate graft case, Subang Regent Eep Hidayat, who is under investigation for corruption, fulfilled his threat to mobilize his supporters to rally at the West Java prosecutors’ office if the office carried on with the investigation.

A group of people claiming to support Eep staged a rally in front of the office, demanding a halt to the investigation.

The protesters held up various posters, which read “If the Subang regent becomes a suspect, the West Java governor must become a suspect too”, and “All Subang civil servants will strike if the probes into the regent continues”.

The prosecutors’ office began the investigation last week over allegations that Eep embezzled money from taxes on forestry, mining and plantation from 2005 to 2008. He is alleged to have caused state losses of up to Rp 6.1 billion, Rp 3.2 billion of which he is alleged to have pocketed.

Rally coordinator Omay Komarudin said the investigation was politically motivated.