Tjokorda, the chairman of the panel of Jakarta corruption court judges, when reading our the verdict, said Syamsul Arifin was found guilty of corruption and therefore sentenced to two years and six months in jail and a fine of Rp150 million or three more months more in jail if he fails to pay it.
Syamsul was proven to have ordered a member of his staff, Buyung Ritonga, the chief cashier of the Langkat district administration, Surya Jahisa, chief financier, Aswan Supri acting financier and Taufik to disburse the administration`s money for personal purposes while he was head of the Langkat district administration, causing the state to lose Rp97.8 billion.
The sentence was lighter that the demand of the public prosecutor from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) which was five years in jail and a fine of Rp500 million.
The prosecutor had also demanded the defendant to pay Rp88.2 billion in exchange for the corrupted money which the defendant had so far been able to pay only Rp80.1 billion and unless he paid the rest Syamsul would have to replace it with three years in jail.
The judges however said that Syamsul and his family had only used Rp57 billion of the corrupted money and had already returned Rp80.1 billion and therefore he need not have to pay anymore.
Due to his health condition Syamsul Arifin attended the session on a wheelchair.
(T.V002/H-YH/HAJM/O001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
