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Riau governor's alleged briber charged by KPK
The Riau Palm Oil Farmers Association chairman Gulat Medali Emas Manurung was indicted on Monday for allegedly bribing suspended Riau Governor Annas Maamun to the tune of US$166,100 in return for the latter designating Gulat's plantation as a non-forested area
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T
he Riau Palm Oil Farmers Association chairman Gulat Medali Emas Manurung was indicted on Monday for allegedly bribing suspended Riau Governor Annas Maamun to the tune of US$166,100 in return for the latter designating Gulat's plantation as a non-forested area.
"Gulat paid Annas Maamun after the governor had classified oil palm plantations owned by Gulat and his colleagues as non-forested area in an application letter to revise non-forested areas in Riau, which runs contrary to Annas' duties as governor of Riau,' Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutor Roy Riady claimed at the Corruption Court in Jakarta as quoted by Antara news agency.
The revision affected 1,188 hectares of oil palm plantations in Kuantan Singigi regency and 1,214 hectares in Rokan Hilir regency.
Gulat was indicted for violating Articles 5 (1b) and 13 of the Law No. 31/1999 on corruption eradication and Law No. 20/2001 on corruption eradication.
On Sept. 22, the governor allegedly demanded Rp 2.9 billion from Gulat to carry out the requested revision. Gulat, however, could only provide $166,100 of which $41,100 was from his own pocket and the remaining $125,000 was from his colleague Edison Marudut Marsadauli.
The money was allegedly given to Annas at his private residence in the Citra Gran housing complex in Cibubur, West Java, on Sept. 24 but Annas requested the money be exchanged into Singapore dollars in a phone conversation.
In a meeting at Le Meridien Hotel on Sept. 25, Annas personally told Gulat to exchange the money into Singaporean dollars. Gulat then exchanged the money into S$156,000 and Rp 500 million at a foreign exchange in Central Jakarta.
It is further alleged that the exchanged money was again handed over at Annas' private residence and was stored in Annas' bedroom. Annas gave Rp 60 million to Gulat.
KPK officers then raided the house seizing the evidence of S$156,000 from Annas' bedroom and Rp 60 million inside Gulat's bag. (dyl/nvn)(++++)
