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Suryadharma Ali proclaims his innocence
Defiant: Former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali, a graft suspect, listens to a witness' testimony during a hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Oct
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Defiant: Former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali, a graft suspect, listens to a witness' testimony during a hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Oct.5. (Tribunnews/Herudin) (Tribunnews/Herudin)
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span class="inline inline-center">Defiant: Former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali, a graft suspect, listens to a witness' testimony during a hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Oct.5. (Tribunnews/Herudin)
The lawyer of former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali, Humphrey Djemat, said his client could not wholeheartedly accept it if Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors demanded a hefty sentence for him during a court hearing scheduled for Tuesday morning at the Jakarta Corruption Court.
Humphrey said that none of the charges leveled against his client had been proven and he should therefore be pronounced innocent. Suryadharma is standing trial for alleged corruption in connection to management of the haj, which his ministry oversaw.
'Frankly, he [Suryadharma] has said he would not be able to wholeheartedly accept being handed a hefty sentence,' Humphrey said as quoted by kompas.com on Tuesday morning.
Suryadharma has been accused of causing state losses of Rp 1.8 trillion (US$131.8 million). Humphrey said, however, that during Suryadharma's trial, no such state losses had not been proven.
'Where is the evidence of Rp 1.8 trillion in graft, which is a fantastic amount and has attracted public attention? In fact, such an amount in state losses was created one year after Pak SDA [Suryadharma Ali] was named a suspect,' said Humphrey.
The lawyer further explained that the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) calculated the alleged state losses based on statements made by witnesses in Suryadharma's case, which could be categorized as secondary data only, not primary facts. Humphrey said the accuracy of state losses concluded through such a method could not be validated. Moreover, the lawyer said, not one rupiah of the haj fund went to Suryadharma's private account.
'During the trial, nothing has been proven related to haj officers, Ministerial Operational Funds (DOM), accommodation costs or the use of the unused haj seats. What we've seen is prosecutors being forcible with their charges in Suryadharma's case to make him appear guilty,' said Humphrey.
He voiced hope that the prosecutors would consider trial facts before making a sentence demand.
'Don't treat a person cruelly when they aren't guilty. He [Suryadharma] and his family have suffered physically and psychologically,' said the lawyer.
Suryadharma is charged with abusing his authority as religious affairs minister in government haj programs from 2010 to 2013. He is suspected of causing Rp 27.28 billion and 17.97 million Saudi riyals in state losses.
In the haj programs, Suryadharma is accused of appointing people deemed incompetent as Saudi Arabia-based haj organizing committee (PPIH) officials and of giving unused haj quota seats to people not on the official list.
Suryadharma is also accused of accommodating requests by House of Representatives Commission VIII, which oversees religious affairs, to enable certain people to go on the haj for free and appoint them as PPIH members.
In addition, Suryadharma is accused of enabling relatives, staff members, private guards and his drivers and their wives to go on the haj for free.
The KPK has charged Suryadharma under articles 2 (1) and 18 of Law No.31/1999 in reference to Law No.20/2001 on corruption eradication and articles 55 (1) and 65 (1) of the Criminal Code. (ebf)
