Former Health Minister Jailed for Corruption
Armando Siahaan | April 24, 2010
Related articles
Nunun Apologizes for Behavior in Court, Claims She Is 'Stupid' 1:22pm Apr 30, 2012
Former Central Bank Chief Killed in Haiti 4:17pm Mar 8, 2012
Nunun’s Palm Oil Company Received Billions in Credit From Lenders: Witness 10:56am Mar 8, 2012
Manpower and Transmigration Minister Fingered in Court, Again 9:31am Mar 6, 2012
‘Betrayed’ Citizen Stabs Allegedly Corrupt Prosecutor in Court 1:36pm Feb 29, 2012
Post a comment
Please login to post comment
Comments
Be the first to write your opinion!
The Anti-Corruption Court on Friday sentenced Achmad Sujudi, the nation’s former health minister, to two years and three months in jail for his role in a 2003 graft case that involved inflating the budget for contracts to supply medical equipment to remote regions.
“He is guilty of corruption,” Judge Jupriadi said at the court hearing, adding that the court ordered Achmad to pay Rp 100 million ($11,100) in fines or face an additional three months in prison. The sentence was lighter than the five years demanded by prosecutors, and the prosecution’s demand that Achmad pay Rp 700 million to the state as compensation was also rejected.
Instead, the court ordered the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to return the Rp 700 million Achmad had handed over to the state via the KPK after he was declared a corruption suspect. The court said that during the course of the trial no proof had been presented that Achmad had received that money as kickbacks for granting the firms government contracts.
Achmad, 69, who served under former President Abdurrahman Wahid, was declared a suspect last year. According to KPK investigators, he admitted to accepting Rp 700 million in kickbacks from PT Kimia Farma Trading and PT Rifa Jaya Mulia, in return for providing them with contracts.
The companies allegedly inflated the budget of the contracts to supply medical equipment to 32 hospitals in eastern Indonesia. The KPK found that had cost the state Rp 104 billion.
The court said on Friday that Achmad abused his authority as minister by directly appointing the company instead of conducting a tender. Achmad was also found guilty of not taking any action after knowing that the project had been sub-contracted to other companies.
KPK deputy commissioner Bibit Samad Rianto noted last year that Achmad and executives from the two companies had manipulated the per-unit equipment prices by up to 5,000 percent above retail.
Achmad had used a ministerial decree to directly appoint Kimia Farma Trading as the ministry’s partner in a project to procure medical equipment scheduled for distribution to the hospitals.
“I received no benefit from this. What is important, though, is that the medical equipment has been distributed and reached the hospitals,” Achmad said immediately following the sentencing. He has seven days to appeal and is still weighing his options.
Humphrey Djemat, Achmad’s lawyer, said he is disappointed with the court’s decision.
“[Achmad] never received any money from his partners,” Humphrey said. “But he was still declared guilty.”
The Anti-Corruption Court on Tuesday sentenced Gunawan Pranoto and Rinaldi Yusuf, directors of the partner companies, to six years and five years in jail, respectively, for their involvement in the graft case.
- Tomy Winata to Build Jakarta's Tallest Building
- Lady Gaga Angers Thai Fans With Fake Rolex Comment
- Lady Gaga Refuses to Tone Down Her Shows: Manager
- Indonesia Set to Cap Bank Owners’ Stakes: Sources
- President's Son Nearly Attacked by Angry Mob
- Singapore Cabby Jailed for Molesting Indonesian Maid
- Indonesia's Chief Justice Demands SBY Explain Corby Clemency
- If You Don’t Like It, Don’t Watch, Djoko Says of Gaga
- National Exams' ‘Fantastic’ Passing Rate Suspicious: ICW
- Malaysian Authorities Seize Copies of Irshad Manji’s Book
-
9:17pm | Indonesia's Chief Justice Dema...
Mahfud statement reveals such ugly, uneducated things about the man that should embarrass the whole of Indonesia ! The gap between -
9:14pm | Djoko Says ‘I Don’t Care’ Abou...
FPI just wants big daddy to give them more money, that's all. If Big Daddy has given more, they wouldn't be making so much noise. -
9:11pm | Djoko Says ‘I Don’t Care’ Abou...
Try googling Sobri Lubis and see the pics of him? Reminds me of a devil. -
8:45pm | Lady Gaga Concert Promoter Has...
I think it will happen because ultimately: no concert = no kickback. -
8:24pm | Two IPB Security Guards Shot D...
It's hard to imagine that people can be so callous, at such a time and at such a place. A total absence of humanity! -
8:10pm | Lady Gaga Concert Promoter Has...
Jesus, "the requirements needed are a letter from the promoter, a permit from the venue, a recommendation from the Jakarta police, a recommendatio -
8:00pm | Lady Gaga Concert Promoter Has...
why do they need recommendation from MUI? is MUI part of the government now? this matter has nothing to do with MUI unless they run the GBK or some -
7:56pm | Indonesia Denies NGO Allegatio...
No culture of denial here, oh no.
