Regent acquitted of all graft charges

The Tanjungkarang District Court in Lampung on Monday acquitted East Lampung Regent Satono of misappropriating Rp 119 billion (US$13.45 million) from the regency budget, from all charges restoring his good name.

Though many observers predicted Satono’s acquittal, the public was nevertheless stunned because, during a hearing in mid-September, prosecutors sought a 12-year sentence and Rp 10.5 billion fine. “The defendant is without a doubt not guilty of the charges,” judge Andreas Suharto read the verdict on Monday.

Upon hearing the verdict, suspended regent Satono immediately prostrated in gratitude on the courtroom floor as hundreds of his supporters in the courtroom and outside cheered.

According to the panel of judges, it was never proven that Satono had abused his authority.

The Bandarlampung City Police deployed 500 officers to secure the hearing, which was marked with a rally by Satono’s supporters. The police also kept a tight security watch during the previous hearings, as Satono’s detractors had demanded that judges hand down the maximum sentence and tossed rotten eggs at the courthouse.

“We posted 518 police officers, three water cannons and dogs,” Bandarlampung City Police deputy chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Nurrochman.

In May this year, East Lampung Regent Satono was suspended from his duties to stand trial at the Tanjungkarang District Court for allegedly embezzling from the 2008 and 2009 regency budget.

Satono was suspected of accepting Rp 10.5 billion in gratuities from Sugiharto Wiharjo, alias Alay, owner of the dissolved Tripanca Setiadana Bank, for his service to keep Rp 119 billion in regency funds at the bank.

Satono was suspended by Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi in January, but was reinstated when judges rejected the prosecutors’ charges because the government had revoked Home Ministerial Decree No. 29/2002.

The ministerial decree was later changed with Home Ministerial Regulation No. 13/2006, in which Article 335 stipulates that regency budget funds must be kept in a state bank.

Satono’s reinstatement sparked frequent protests at the East Lampung regency administration office and Tanjungkarang District Court.

East Lampung regency council speaker Arifin said his office had worked to recover the Rp 119 billion of the regency budget funds bank interest.

“The money is owned by the people of East Lampung. It is not Satono’s personal money. Keeping budget funds in the Tripanca Bank deprives the people, obviously, because the money could not be used for development to improve people’s welfare since 2008,” Arifin said.

On several occasions, Satono said the Rp 107 billion being saved at Tripanca Bank was not corruption because the interest had gone to the regency’s locally generated income (PAD).

Satono’s lawyer, Sopian Sitepu, said his client’s case had no clear legal basis. “What [law] he violated was also unclear. That’s why we were confident he would be released,” he said.