Indonesian Minister Was Sentenced to Three Years Imprisonment

Non-active Secretary to the Minister of Youth and Sport (Sesmenpora – Sekretaris Menteri Pemuda dan Olahraga), Wafid Muharram, adjudged guilty of corruption. Wafid was sentenced to three years imprisonment with additional fine of IDR 150 million that can be replaced with a three-month confinement.

Sesmenpora - Wisma Atlet

The sentence for Wafid was announced by the judges at the Corruption Court, Jakarta, Monday (12/19/2011). The head judge was Marsudin Nainggolan. Wafid was proven guilty for violating Article 5 Paragraph 2 in conjunction with Article 5 Paragraph 1 letter b of Law on Corruption Eradication.

As a state organizer, he was proven receiving a check valued IDR 3.2 billion from El Mohamad Idris, Marketing Manager of PT Duta Graha Indah (PT DGI), and Mindo Rosalina Manulang, Marketing Director of PT Anak Negeri. The provision was given related to PT DGI’s winning on athletes homestead project contractors.

"After receiving the check, he handed it to Poniran (the witness) to be kept as soon as Idris and Rosa left the office of the defendant (Wafid)," said a member of the judge panel, Sofialdi.

Meanwhile, Wafid pleaded that the IDR 3.2 billion check is a bailout loan. This plea is not accepted. From the information gathered from the Witnesses during the trial, the judges indicated that the giving of the check is related to the commitment fee.

"As a state organizer, the defendant is prohibited from receiving any compensation. The defendant should refuse the offer, anyway the defendant argued that it is for loan or bailout," said Sofialdi.

The verdict against Wafid is less than the public prosecutor demands, i.e. six years in prison. Few considerations for giving lighter punishment are the fact that he is a state servants or civil servants and he was polite during the trial.

However, Wafid was guilty for not supporting government programs in combatting the corruption.
Responding to the verdict, Wafid will consider whether or not he will appeal. "My lawyer and me will have more intensive discussion. So, no comment regarding it yet today," he said.

Source: Kompas

Chronology of Nunun Nurbaeti Arrest

The suspect of the Bank Indonesia Governor travelers check corruption case, Nunun Nurbaeti, that has been a fugitive since February 2011, was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (Komisi Pemberantas Korupsi - KPK). The commission worked closely with the Thai Police, National Police Headquarters and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Embassy in Bangkok.

Arrest of Nunun

The chronology of Nunun’s arrest, according to the Vice Chairman of KPK, Chandra M Hamzah, starting on Wednesday (07.12.11), when the Thai police arrested Nunun in a house in the city of Bangkok, after performing a search based on photographs and documents from the KPK.

A day later, on Thursday (08.12.11), Thailand Police informed the Indonesian Police Headquarters and KPK that the person alleged Nunun had been arrested. On Thursday night, the KPK's first team went to Thailand to follow up on the reports from Thai police.

The next day, Friday (09.12.11), the Commission dispatched the second team to Thailand to coordinate with local police through the data matching. Then, the team from KPK and Thailand National Police discussed regarding the repatriate of Nunun to the country.

Upon the completion from the Thai Police, KPK team headed to the Embassy in Bangkok in order to obtain travel documents functions as passports to bring Nunun back to Indonesia.

On Saturday (12.10.11), Thailand Police's lead suspects Nunun to Svarnabhumi Bangkok Airport, to be handed to the Commission team who had been waiting in a Garuda Indonesia flight number GA 867. Inside the aircraft, the investigators from KPK delivered an arrest warrant then signed by Nunun in the plane.

At 02:30 pm Bangkok time,  Nunun and the KPK team departed from Svarnabhumi Airport Bangkok to Indonesia. On Saturday at 17:45 pm, the suspect landed at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, Cengkareng, Tangerang, then taken to the KPK building, Jakarta, and examined by the KPK investigators team until midnight.

Sunday (11.12.11) morning at 00:30 GMT, the Commission brought the suspect to the Pondok Bambu Detention, East Jakarta. Nunun went out by wearing a headscarf and her face was covered with a white mask, and guarded by Gegana team and accompanied by three women who had previously accompanied her when she came to KPK.

Source: Kompas

There Must Be a Breakthrough in the First 100 Days for KPK New Leaders

In the first 100 days of work, the newly selected KPK (Komisi Pemberantas Korupsi - Corruption Eradication Commission) leaders should make a breakthrough, with a big crackdown on corruption cases that has seized the public attention.

The breakthrough, by these new leaders who will begin their jobs on December 17, is necessary to restore public trust in the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

KPK

"KPK must solve the cases that are now vague. In the first 100 days of their duties, the new leadership of KPK should make a breakthrough to obtain public support," Secretary General of Indonesian International Transparency, Teten Masduki, told Kompas in Jakarta, Friday (2 / 12 / 2011) night.

Teten said a number of potential cases for new KPK leaders to be followed up in the first 100 days, such as the Bank Century bailout scandal, the involvement of Democrat leaders in the corruption of former treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin, and the hunt against the wife of former Deputy Chief of Police of the Republic of Indonesia Adang Daradjatun, Nunun Nurbaeti.

The new leadership of the KPK, according to Teten also must have a road map for eradicating corruption. The new leaders of KPK could start by following what is done by the Hong Kong anti-corruption agency by cleaning up law enforcement such as police and prosecutors.

Source: Kompas, Jakarta