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Former Supiori regent in Papua indicted for corruption

Former Supiori regent in Papua, Rev

Nethy Dharma Somba (The Jakarta Post)
Jayapura
Tue, July 24, 2012

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Former Supiori regent in Papua indicted for corruption

F

ormer Supiori regent in Papua, Rev. Julius Mnusefer, was indicted at the Jayapura Corruption Court in Jayapura on Monday for his alleged involvement in corrupting Rp 13.9 billion (US$1,470,900) from the 2010 regional budget.

The trial was presided over by the chairman of the panel of judges Khairul Fuad, while the defendant was accompanied by his lawyer Habel Rumbiak.

The indictment was read by public prosecutor Riza Ramdani and Arnold Awom.

Based on the indictment, Mnusefer was said to have violated Article 2 and 3 of the law on corruption by misusing state money to enrich himself and others. He faces a prison sentence of up to four years.

The acts of corruption were said to have been carried out in 2010 when Mnusefer assumed his post as Supiori regent after being sworn in to replace regent Jules F Warikar, who was unable to continue his duty after he was sentenced to three years in jail for corruption. Warikar was involved in a corruption case involving the construction of infrastructure valued at Rp 36.58 billion in the regency between 2008 and 2010.

Warikar and Mnusefer were respectively the regent and deputy regent of Supior during the 2005-2010 period.

In his indictment, prosecutor Riza said that the Rp 13.6 billion funds were transferred from the central government to the regency administration’s account through the Biak branch of Bank Mandiri. In its development the funds were withdrawn in 22 transactions by Mnusefer, even though according to Home Minister Decree No. 59/2007, the funds should have been put in the regional cashier’s account at the Supiori branch of Bank Papua.

“The Biak branch of Bank Mandiri should have been used only to temporarily accommodate the fund before being transferred to Bank Papua in Supiori before being disbursed in line with the budget allocations. The problem was that the defendant withdrew the funds in cash for disbursement without any budget deliberation,” Riza said.

In the indictment, the funds were spent mostly to finance his candidacy for the regent election in Supiori for the 2011-2016 period. “The funds were used mostly for his political purposes,” Riza said.

Mnusefer, who was ill, was detained at the Biak penitentiary to attend the corruption trial. He was flown from Biak to Jayapura.

“I want that my client will be detained in Jayapura for the sake of efficiency and for his health, rather than forcing him to travel from Biak to Jayapura and vice versa to attend the trial,” Habel Rumbiak said.

Presiding judge Khairul said he would consider the request from the defendant’s lawyer.

The trial was adjourned until July 30, 2012, with an agenda of hearing the defendant’s statements.

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