Pelalawan regent gets 11 years

Suara Indonesia News - Suspended Pelalawan regent Tengku Azmun Jaafar was sentenced
Tuesday to 11 years imprisonment after being found guilty by the
Corruption Court of illegally endorsing authorization letters
for forest resource use.

"He is found legally and convincingly guilty of committing
collective and continuous corruption," said presiding judge
Kresna Menon.

The panel of judges also fined Azmun Rp 500 million (US$52,910),
or an additional six months in prison should he fail to pay the
fine.

"The defendant is also obliged to pay Rp 12.3 billion in
compensation to the state, one month after the verdict is
legally endorsed, or face another four years in prison if he
fails to pay the compensation," judge Kresna said.

The sentence was lighter than that demanded by prosecutors of 12
years in prison and Rp 19.83 billion in compensation to the
state.

Kresna said if the defendant could not afford to pay the
compensation, the court would confiscate his assets and auction
them off to raise the money.

Azmun was convicted of illegally authorizing 15 companies to
exploit 120,000 hectares of forest in Pelalawan regency, Riau
province, between 2002 and 2003, resulting in Rp 1.2 trillion in
state losses. The 15 companies are: PT. Merbau Pelalawan Lestari, PT Selaras
Abadi Utama, PT. Uniseraya, PT Rimba Mutiara Permai, PT Triomas
FDI, PT Satria Perkasa Agung, PT Mitra Hutani Jaya, PT Madukoro,
PT Mitra Tani Nusa Sejati, CV Tuah Negeri, CV Mutiara Lestari,
CV Putri Lindung Bulan, CV Bhakti Praja Mulia, CV Alam Lestari
and CV Harapan Jaya.

Azmun issued authorization letters for forest resource use
despite being aware the companies did not have the competency to
undertake forestry activities, the judges said.

"Although the issuance of the authorization letters was not the
only reason for the companies to clear-cut the forest, it was
the cause for the issuance of the companies' annual plan that
allowed them to exploit the forest," Kresna read out.

Azmun's actions, the judge went on, did not directly benefit
himself, but helped other people and companies gain significant
amounts of money.

After the verdict, Azmun and his lawyers said they would use the
given seven-day period to consider whether to accept the verdict
or file an appeal. However, Azmun insisted he was innocent,
saying he was only doing his job as a regent.

Defense lawyer Hironimus Dani expressed disappointment over the
verdict.

"The verdict did not include all the facts in the case. The
panel of judges did not take the verification process into their
consideration," he said.

Dani said the authorization letters for forest resource use did
not automatically allow the companies to clear-cut the forest.

"(The companies) still needed approval from the provincial
forestry agency head and the governor to do that," he said,
questioning why only his client was forced to stand trial in the
case. (RED)