T

he Bandung Corruption Court tried non-active Riau Governor Annas Maamun on Wednesday for
alleged involvement in bribery cases concerning the conversion of forests into oil palm plantations in his province.

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors charged Anas, who is also a former Rokan Hilir regent, for violating article 12(a) and (b) of Law No 31/1999 on corruption, which carry a maximum punishment of 20 years in prison.

'€œAnnas received bribes worth a total of Rp 5.5 billion (US$429,000) in the conversion of forests into oil palm plantations in Riau,'€ KPK prosecutor Irene Putrie told the court.

Irene said the 74-year-old governor had put oil palm plantations in Kuantan Singingi regency, in Bagan Sinnembah, Rokan Hilir regency and in Duri, Bengkalis regency into the proposed revision of Forestry Ministry Decree No 673/2014 dated Aug. 9, 2014 on a change in the allocation of forest into non-forest areas.

Irene said the 1,188-hectare plantation in Kuantan Sengingi and a 1,214-hectare one in Bagan Sinembah belonged to Gulat Medali Emas Manurung, a member of Annas'€™ campaign team during his race to become governor for the 2014-2019 term in office, while a 120-hectare field in Duri belonged to employer Edison Marudut Marsadauli Siahaan.

'€œIn fact, these areas are located outside the location recommended by the Riau Forestry Integrated Team,'€ Irene said. For this, according to Irene, through Gulat, Annas asked for Rp 2.9 billion that he said would be spent to pay for 60 members of the House of Representatives'€™ Commission IV to speed up the approval process.

'€œAmong the sites were the ones managed by Gulat and Edison,'€ Irene said.

On Sept. 23, 2014, she added, Annas contacted Gulat, asking for the money. The following day Gulat gave US$166,100 to Triyanto, Annas'€™ adjutant.

The money was returned to Gulat to be exchanged into Singaporean dollars and Indonesian rupiah. After the money was exchanged and Gulat handed it over to Annas, KPK officers arrested both men in Annas'€™ house in Cibubur, Bekasi, West Java on Sept. 25.

Annas was also charged for allegedly receiving Rp 3 billion from Surya Darmadi for putting the fields belonging to four subsidiary companies of PT Darmex Agro in Indagiri Hulu regency, Riau, into the proposed revision for land conversion.

According to Irene, Annas had also received Rp 500 million for giving a project within the Riau provincial administration to Edison Marudut Marsadauli Siahaan, president director of PT Citra Hokiana Triutama.

The company won at least three projects with the Riau provincial public works agency worth a total of Rp 25 billion in 2014 alone.