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span class="inline inline-left">Graft trial: Papua Legislative Council speaker John Ibo (second left) is escorted to the corruption court room in Jayapura on Thursday. John was tried for the alleged misappropriation of Rp 5.2 billion (US$566,000). JP/Nethy Dharma SombaPapua Legislative Council speaker John Ibo, former Papua provincial secretary Andi Baso Basaleng and former Papua provincial financial bureau head Paul Onibala had their initial trial session at the Jayapura Corruption Court on Thursday, for the alleged misappropriation of Rp 5.2 billion (US$566,000).

During the trial, presided over by judge Jack Octavianus, prosecutor Nikolaus B. Kondomo read the indictments of the three defendants.

Ibo, Basaleng and Onibala were indicted of violating the 2001 Corruption Eradication Law.

The embezzled funds were derived from the 2006 provincial budget when Ibo handed a memo to the then Papua provincial secretary Basaleng for the renovation costs of the Papua Council speaker’s house.

The funds were disbursed in two installments, the first on Aug. 3, 2006, amounting to Rp 2.6 billion, followed by the second installment on Dec. 29, 2006, also amounting to Rp 2.6 billion.

As much as Rp 2.6 billion out of the total Rp 5.2 billion in misappropriated funds was derived from agency assistance funds, while the other Rp 2.6 billion was taken from community organization assistance funds for housing projects.

Prosecutor Nikolaus said that the use of agency assistance funds and community organization assistance funds was against Article 7 of Provincial Regulation No. 24/2004 concerning finance protocols for local legislative council members and leaders.

Ibo, who requested funds for the renovation of his house, should have handed a valid receipt to Basaleng, instead of a memo, Nikolaus said.

Nikolaus also said that Ibo had used the Rp 5.2 billion to enrich himself, instead of using the funds for its intended purpose, so the Papua provincial administration was deprived of Rp 5.2 billion.

The defendants’ defense team, led by Piet Ell, did not comment; however, Ibo did express his feelings.

“God knows everything that I’ve done. The defendant’s chair is a silent witness of my grief,” he said.

Besides Ibo, Basaleng and Onibala were on hand to hear the indictment.

Outside the courthouse, scores of people staged a rally in protest of the graft case.

“The judges should release Om John because he helped us build a church. Why aren’t the others, who have also embezzled tens of billions of rupiah, not caught and prosecuted. Instead, it’s those who have helped us,” a protester said.

Dozens of officers from the Jayapura City Police were deployed to secure the trial.