TheJakartaPost

Please Update your browser

Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.

Jakarta Post

Amran’s verdict gives hope to graft fight

In a surprise verdict, the Jakarta Corruption Court has sentenced Amran Batalipu, the former regent of Buol in Central Sulawesi, to seven years and six months in jail for bribery, the heaviest punishment given to an official for committing the crime in the last four years

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Tue, February 12, 2013

Share This Article

Change Size

Amran’s verdict gives hope to graft fight

I

n a surprise verdict, the Jakarta Corruption Court has sentenced Amran Batalipu, the former regent of Buol in Central Sulawesi, to seven years and six months in jail for bribery, the heaviest punishment given to an official for committing the crime in the last four years.

“The panel of judges has found Amran guilty of committing corruption,” presiding judge Gusrizal Lubis read from the verdict on Monday.

The judges also ordered him to pay a Rp 300 million (US$31,211) fine or serve an additional six months behind bars.

According to the judges, Amran’s conduct was counter to the government’s corruption eradication efforts, while mitigating factors included the fact that he had never before been convicted of a crime.

Amran was charged with bribery as stipulated in the Corruption Law and abuse of power under the Criminal Code. Even though the maximum sentence for a bribe taker is 20 years’ imprisonment, most offenders are handed less than 10 years.

Prosecutors had previously sought a 12-year sentence for Amran. While the verdict was less severe than that, it was heavier than those imposed on other graft convicts, save former prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan, who was sentenced to 20 years in jail in 2008.

Former Democratic Party lawmaker Angelina Sondakh, for instance, was only jailed for four-and-a-half years for corruption, although the prosecutors had asked the judges to sentence her to 12 years in prison. Graft activists criticized the court for giving a slap on the wrist to Angelina, saying that such a verdict would not deter people from committing graft.

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) campaigner Emerson Yuntho welcomed the verdict against Amran, but argued it was still too lenient.

He said the judges should have sentenced the disgraced regent to no less than two-thirds of the sentence sought by prosecutors. “The ICW has repeatedly voiced its concerns about the low sentences handed down to graft defendants,” he said.

“According to one of our studies, the average jail term imposed on corruption convicts is three years and six months, a long way from our expectations.”

Amran was proven guilty of accepting a bribe from a company owned by Democratic Party politician and tycoon Siti Hartati Tjakra Murdaya regarding a mining business license and land use certificate in Buol.

Amran accepted a Rp 3 billion bribe from Hartati, who sought to expedite the issuance of a permit needed for her oil palm plantation company, PT Hartati Inti Plantation (HIP). The Golkar Party politician, who was forcefully arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) at his home in Buol in July last year, said he would appeal the verdict. “I will be filing an appeal for the sake of justice,” Amran said as quoted by Antara news agency.

He insisted that he was innocent and refused to be charged with accepting a bribe from Hartati. “It was not a bribe. It was a campaign donation,” Amran said, arguing that the money was given while he was seeking reelection as Buol regent in 2012. He claimed he did not use the money for personal gain.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi said the commission was still considering whether to file an appeal or not, as the sentence was less than the 12 years sought by prosecutors.

“The KPK usually files an appeal when a verdict is less than two-thirds of the sentence sought by prosecutors,” he told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

The KPK recently said it would appeal the Jakarta Corruption Court verdict that sentenced Hartati, who is one of Indonesia’s richest women, to only 32 months in prison and a Rp 150 million fine for bribing Amran. The commission said it would push for the five-year sentence that was originally sought.

During Hartati’s hearing, presiding judge Gusrizal praised the chairwoman of the Indonesian Buddhist Council (Walubi), saying that she had contributed to the economic development of Buol, had behaved well during the trial and she had never been convicted before.

The KPK has also named two other suspects in the case, namely Gondo Sudjono and Yani Ansori, who aided Hartati.

Gondo, a general manager at HIP, and Yani Ansori, the firm’s operations director, were instructed by Hartati to deliver Rp 1 billion of the total Rp 3 billion bribe to Amran at his home in Buol.

A number of regional leaders have been convicted of corruption since the implementation of regional autonomy legislation, which stipulates that governors and regents be democratically elected. The ICW has recorded that 24 regional leaders were charged with graft in 2012 alone. (nad)

{

Your Opinion Counts

Your thoughts matter - share your experiences, suggestions, and any issues you've encountered on The Jakarta Post. We're here to listen.

Enter at least 30 characters
0 / 30

Thank You

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. We appreciate your feedback.