The Corruption Court Wednesday sentenced Aulia Pohan (left picture / inset), father in law of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s eldest son, to four-and-a-half years in jail after finding him guilty of corruption in a Bank Indonesia (BI) scandal. Former BI deputy governor Aulia and other former central bank officials were found guilty and sentenced to jail for their involvement in a scandal that resulted in Rp 100 billion (US$9.83 million) of state losses. Maman Soemantri was also sentenced to four-and-a-half years in jail, while Bun Bunan EJ Hutapea and Aslim Tadjuddin were given four years each. “The four defendants are legally guilty of collective corruption. Aulia Pohan and Maman Soemantri should therefore serve four-and-a-half years in jail each, while Bun Bunan EJ Hutapea and Aslim Tadjuddin should serve four years each,” presiding judge Kresna Menon said, when reading the verdict. The judges also demanded they each pay Rp 200 million in fines or serve an additional six months in prison should they fail to pay the fine. Aulia and Maman’s sentences are higher than the four years demanded by prosecutors. “The four defendants, as members of BI's board of governors, approved the disbursement of Rp 100 billion of the BI’s Indonesian Banking Development Foundation [YPPI] fund in 2003,” judge Edward Pattinasarani said. Aside from being members of the BI's board of governors, Aulia was also head of YPPI's board of advisor and Maman his deputy. Some Rp 68.5 billion of the Rp 100 billion disbursement was used to finance the “legal expenses” of five former BI senior officials implicated in BI liquidity support (BLBI) graft cases. The remaining Rp 31.5 billion was use to maneuver the political settlement of the BLBI as well as accelerate the approval of a BI law amendment with the House of Representatives. “The four defendants attended the BI board of governors meeting between June and July [in 2003] where they agreed to use Rp 100 billion of the YPPI fund to cover 'urgent activities',” judge Hendra Yospin said. At that time, BI’s finances were in deficit and it was impossible to apply for bigger budgets. “It was in this particular climate that the four defendants approved the financing of five former BI senior officials' legal expenses in such an unusual manner," Hendra said. The five high-ranking officials who were given the YPPI funds were former BI governor Soedradjat Djiwandono, as well as former deputy BI governors Paul Sutopo, Heru Supraptomo, Hendro Budianto and Iwan R. Prawiranata. The judges, however, agreed there was no urgent situation — as perceived by the defendants — forcing them to use the YPPI funds. As the funds belonged to the state, the Rp 100 billion disbursement was an embezzlement of state assets, the judges added. Moreover, judge Hendra said, some of the money was deposited and used to buy properties under the former officials' own names. He added the defendants had the option to delay fulfilling the five former officials' request to use the money. He also pointed out the BI, as a state institution, should not have settled its problems - supporting and accelerating the political settlement of BLBI and of BI's law amendment — with other institution using large sums of money.Author: Irawaty Wardany, The Jakarta Post
