Nazaruddin May Get 7 Years in Jail

Graft suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin meets with his
lawyer before his trial at the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court
on Monday. (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal)

Prosecutors at the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court recommended on Monday that high-profile graft suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin be jailed for seven years for taking bribes to influence the awarding of a project tender.

Prosecutor Anang Supriatna said witnesses and the evidence presented in court showed that Nazaruddin accepted checks worth Rp 4.6 billion ($501,000) from Mohammad El Idris, the marketing manager of Duta Graha Indah, in relation to the construction of an athletes’ village in Palembang, South Sumatra.

Anang also recommended that the court fine Nazaruddin Rp 300 million or sentence him to an additional six months in jail.

The prosecutor added that Nazaruddin had failed to cooperate during legal proceedings.

“The defendant escaped abroad and the state had to spend a large amount of money to bring him back,” he said.

“We demand that the panel of judges ... declare the defendant M. Nazaruddin legally and convincingly proven guilty.”

Prosecutors, who had earlier accused Nazaruddin of three charges under the same clause in the anti-corruption law, said the testimonies and evidence only point to guilt in one charge.

“The defendant’s actions to approve the budget for the athletes’ village, and to recommend that Duta Graha Indah becomes a partner in the athletes’ village project, led the [Corruption Eradication Commission] prosecutors” to cite a violation of the same legal article, another prosecutor, I Kadedk Wiradhana, told the court.

In January 2010, Nazaruddin asked Democratic Party lawmaker Angelina Sondakh to help the marketing director of his Permai Group, Mindo Rosalina Manulang, win projects from the Youth and Sports Affairs Ministry.

In April of that year, in a meeting with Angelina, Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng, lawmaker Mahyudin and the ministry’s secretary, Wafid Muharam, Nazaruddin asked Wafid for a similar favor on Rosalina’s behalf.

“Regarding this demand, Wafid expressed willingness as long as the leadership and friends at the House of Representatives agreed to this,” said Yudi, another prosecutor. “The defendant told him everything was already cleared and that the large budget was soon to be released.”

After winning the project, Idris gave Nazaruddin Rp 4.6 billion in five checks with the help of Nazaruddin’s employees Yulianis and Oktarina Furi.

Yulianis cashed the checks and stored them in a safe at one of Nazaruddin’s companies under the supervision of Nazaruddin and his wife, Neneng Sri Wahyuni, who was the financial director.

Prosecutor Edi Hartoyo said that despite Nazaruddin’s repeated denial, the graft suspect has been proven to be the owner of the Permai Group.

“It is concluded that the five checks from DGI entered into the category of gratuities,” prosecutor Tri Muryono said. “The five checks were cashed and stored in a safe of the Permai Group, so it can be concluded that the money was accepted by the defendant.”

Nazaruddin asked the court to allow him to read his defence plea on Wednesday next week and asked for permission to seek treatment for low blood pressure, but Judge Dharmawati rejected both demands, saying the trial will resume on Monday instead.

Nazaruddin also aired disappointment that the prosecutors did not include any reference to Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum, who he has claimed was involved in graft as an executive of the companies linked to Nazaruddin.

“I have obtained information that Anas would be saved because of the interests of some,” he said.

Nazaruddin added that the Permai Group’s documents do not contain any reference to Neneng as serving as the finance director.