T

he Corruption Court found Bachtiar Chamsyah guilty of graft on Tuesday, sentencing the former social services minister to 20 months’ imprisonment.

“I feel that this is a valuable lesson to anyone who becomes a leader at a state institution. A policy can be taken to court in this country,” Bachtiar said after the verdict was announced.

Bachtiar was found guilty of flouting regulations to directly award contracts without competition to supply sewing machines, cattle imports and sarong fabric when he was minister at an estimated loss to the state of Rp 33.7 billion.

The projects were aimed at helping low-income people as part of the government’s poverty eradication program.

The verdict also obliges Bachtiar to pay a Rp 50 million (US$5,750) fine or serve an extra three months in prison.

Bachtiar said that he would think things over for several weeks before deciding if he would appeal.

Prosecutors originally demanded that Bachtiar be sentenced to three years’ imprisonment and to pay a Rp 100 million fine, less than the maximum penalty, as Bachtiar had not materially benefited from the crime, among other factors.

“I did not enjoy one rupiah [in graft] ...but my policy caused losses to the state,” Bachtiar said, advising officials to be careful in making decisions.

Bachtiar served as minister from 2001 to 2009. The illegal procurement of sewing machines and imported cattle occurred between 2004 and 2006.

According to a 2003 presidential decree on procurement, the direct appointment of contractors without competition is only permitted for government projects worth less than Rp 50 million.

The sewing machine procurement project was valued at Rp 54 billion, the cattle procurement project at Rp 19 billion and the sarong project Rp at 11 billion.

Bachtiar was also the United Development Party’s (PPP) deputy secretary-general from 1993-2003.

After one trial session, Bachtiar told journalists that it was impossible for a minister to know every part of decrees such as the 2003 presidential procurement regulation, and that another senior official, Amrun Daulay, whom Bachtiar deemed more knowledgeable on regulations, had devised the projects.

Current PPP secretary-general Irgan Chaerul Mahfiz said the party respected the court’s decision.

“I initially hoped that he would be cleared of all charges since the prosecutors thought that Pak Bachtiar had not been proven to have enriched himself, has done a lot for the nation and has never been sentenced before...” he told tribunnews.com.