The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has asked the Jakarta Corruption Court panel to sentence former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali to 11 years in prison and to hand down a fine of Rp 750 million (US$54,844.65) to him for his alleged involvement in a corruption case centered around the government'€™s Haj programs during the 2010-2013 period.

KPK prosecutor Muhammad Wiraksanjaya said Suryadharma was found guilty of corruption and thus the anti-graft body'€™s team of prosecutors had requested that the panel give him an 11-year prison term and order him to pay a Rp 750 million fine. He further said that prosecutors had also requested that the panel order the defendant to pay a further Rp 2.33 billion, to replace the state losses caused by his act of corruption, or serve an additional six months.

Wiraksanjaya said Suryadharma, who is also a former United Development Party (PPP) chairman, gave complicated explanations during his hearings and that he had denied committing corruption as accused by the KPK prosecutor team.

'€œFactors that have contributed to his heavier charge are the fact that his actions contradicted the government'€™s corruption eradication programs and that, during his hearings, he gave complicated explanations and did not admit his wrongdoings. As a religious affairs minister, he should have adopted religious values such as fairness and honesty. His actions in relation to the government'€™s Haj programs did not reflect such religious values,'€ said Wiraksanjaya when he read out the prosecutor team'€™s indictment against Suryadharma in a hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Wednesday. The former minister was present at the hearing.

Suryadharma has been charged with abusing his authority as religious affairs minister in relation to the government'€™s Haj programs for the 2010-2013. He is suspected of causing Rp 27.28 billion and 17.97 million Saudi riyals in state losses.

It is reported that Suryadharma will have his rights as a public official revoked for five years after his prison term is finished.

During the Haj programs, Suryadharma has been 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 has also been accused of accommodating requests by House of Representatives Commission VIII, which oversees religious affairs, to enable certain people to go on Haj free-of-charge and to appoint them as PPIH members.

In addition, Suryadharma has been accused of enabling relatives, staff members, private guards, his drivers and their wives to go on Haj for free.

The KPK 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)

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