Hari Sabarno pleads innocence

Former home minister Hari Sabarno, a retired four-star Army general, said in his defense statement Thursday that he did not know about the graft-tainted procurement of fire trucks until the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigated his involvement in the case.

Hari, who served as minister under president Megawati Soekarnoputri, is accused of instructing governors, regents and mayors through radiograms to purchase a fire engine distributed in the country exclusively by two companies, PT Istana Sarana Raya and PT Satal Nusantara, owned by the late businessman Hengky Samuel Daud.

“After the KPK launched its investigation, I realized there were irregularities in the issuance of the radiograms,” said Hari before the Jakarta Corruption Court. “I regret it [for not knowing]. If only I had known from the beginning, I could have prevented it.”

Hari said that he never approved the procurement program. “The radiograms sent in December 2002 instructing the purchase of fire trucks with certain specifications did not have my name on them,” he said.

He added that a letter dated Jan. 5, 2004, requesting a tax exemption did not have his name on it either, suggesting that he did not mastermind the case.

“The decision to send the radiogram was made based on a statement by my secretary, Suroso. I never gave the order,” he said.

He also said he doubted the validity of the evidence.

Last week, KPK prosecutors demanded a five-year sentence for Hari for his alleged role.

Prosecutor Ketut Sumedana said last week that the defendant, together with Hengky, met with the heads of 22 local administrations, instructing them to purchase fire engines from Hengky’s companies at a loss of Rp 97.026 billion ($11.3 million) to the state.

The provinces included Riau Islands, Riau, Central Java, Bali, North Sulawesi, North Maluku and Bengkulu, as well as the regencies of Kendari, Minahasa, Bolaang, Mongondow, Central Lampung and Tanggamus.

Prosecutors also demanded Hari be fined Rp 250 million.

Hari was arrested in March, more than three years after the KPK began its investigation into the case in 2007.

People imprisoned in connection with the scandal include Oentarto Sindung Mawardi, the ministry’s former regional autonomy director general, and several governors, mayors and regents. Hengky also spent time behind bars.