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Former fugitive Neneng faces 20 years for ministry scandal

Prosecutors are asking the Jakarta Corruption Court to sentence Neneng Sri Wahyuni, the wife of disgraced former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin, to 20 years’ imprisonment for influencing officials in a procurement scandal

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Fri, November 2, 2012

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Former fugitive Neneng faces 20 years for ministry scandal

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rosecutors are asking the Jakarta Corruption Court to sentence Neneng Sri Wahyuni, the wife of disgraced former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin, to 20 years’ imprisonment for influencing officials in a procurement scandal.

Neneng was indicted by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for asking Timas Ginting, a senior official at the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, to favor her company, PT Alfindo Nuratama Perkasa, in the ministry’s procurement of solar-powered equipment in 2008.

The company was awarded the contract by the ministry, although it could not fulfill the terms of the contract, which involved supplying the equipment to Tulang Bawang, Ogan Ilir, Banyuasin and Ogan Komering Ulu Timur regencies in Sumatra.

Timas, who was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for his role in the case, awarded a contract to PT Alfindo Nuratama Perkasa to carry out the Rp 8.9 billion (US$925,600) project, which the company sub-contracted to a third party that supplied the equipment for Rp 5.2 billion, leading to state losses topping Rp 3.7 billion.

“The defendant [Neneng] should be found guilty of corruption, carried out individually or in collusion with Muhammad Nazaruddin, Marisi Martondang, Mindo Rosalina Manulang, Arifin Ahmad and Timas Ginting, at the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry,” KPK prosecutor Burhanudin said when reading Neneng’s indictment.

At a separate trial, KPK prosecutors indicted two Malaysian nationals, Mohamad Hasan bin Kushi and R Azmi bin Muhamad Yusof, asking the court to sentence the pair to 12 years’ imprisonment for obstructing Neneng’s investigation.

“The defendants intentionally prevented, obstructed and tried to hinder investigations, prosecution and court trial,” prosecutor Kadek Wiradana said.

Kadek said that the defendants attempted to evade an Interpol alert for Neneng by smuggling her out of Malaysia illegally.

Earlier in its investigation, the KPK stated that there was evidence connecting Kushi and Yusof, alleged advisers to a Malaysian sultanate.

Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia Munshe Afdzaruddin Bin Syed Hassan, however, claimed that the men were not linked to any Malaysian royal family.

Neneng fled Indonesia along with her husband in May 2011 to avoid investigation by the KPK.

Neneng allegedly used counterfeit or falsified travel documents to make good her escape from the KPK until she returned to Indonesia in June this year.

Neneng’s maid told investigators that two Malaysian citizens had accompanied Neneng and her to Indonesia from their hiding place in Malaysia.

The entourage took an illegal route, one that is usually used by illegal Indonesian migrant workers returning from Malaysia, via Batam, Riau Islands, before continuing their journey to Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on board a commercial flight.

Critics have said that the true reason Neneng returned was to tend to the Rp 1 trillion in cash, travelers checks and other assets that she owns with her husband, following his conviction in a separate graft scandal.

The Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced Nazaruddin to 58 months’ imprisonment for accepting a Rp 4.6 billion kickback to award the tender for the construction of the athletes’ village for Southeast Asian Games in Palembang, South Sumatra in 2011.

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