4 Years Behind Bars For Indonesian Youth and Sports Ministry Staffer

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Anti-Corruption Court (Tipikor) has sentenced the personal assistant of former Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi to four years in jail June 15.

The sentence comes as the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) continues to get to the bottom of a scandal that cost the state Rp. 11.5 billion.

Also read: KPK Demands 10 Year Sentence For Disgraced Former Minister

Incriminating evidence

“Defendant Miftahul Ulum Pulungan has been found guilty of being a party to corruption offenses,” said Judge Ni Made Sudani. The judge has also given Miftahul a Rp. 200 million fine in the case, which involved a grant from the National Sports Council of Indonesia (KONI) and bribes to a number of officials.

“The evidence that weighed against Ulum included his lack of support for the government’s anti-corruption efforts,” Made added. “But he has been cooperative, showed remorse, and received only a small amount of the Rp. 11.5 billion in bribes.”

The verdict is lighter than the nine years in jail and Rp. 300 million fine advocated by prosecutors. Ulum and his defense counsel accepted the verdict, while prosecutors vowed to appeal the sentence.

Follow the money

The judge ruled that Ulum and Imam accepted the Rp 11.5 billion in kickbacks from then KONI Secretary General Endang Fuad Hamidy and former KONI Treasurer Johnny E Awuy. The bribes were meant to release funds for grants requested by KONI to the Youth and Sports Ministry in 2018.

Prosecutors at Imam's trial demanded a 10-year sentence for the disgraced former youth and sports minister. They also demanded that he pay a Rp. 500 million fine and return Rp. 19 billion in state money. 

Also read: KPK Arrest Former Dirgantara President Director For Graft

The court believed that Ulum and Imam also accepted Rp. 8.64 billion in bribes from a number of parties.

Aside from uncovering the extent of corruption in the youth and sports ministry, the fallout from the scandal has also been felt by various parties.

They include the Supreme Auditing Board or BPK, the Attorney General's Office, and Indonesian badminton gold medalist Taufik Hidayat.

The scandal is the most recent to hit the youth and sports ministry in recent years. The Tipikor also sentenced Imam's predecessor Andi Mallarangeng to four years behind bars in 2013 for graft charges in connection with the building of the Hambalang sports complex.

(Writer: Ardito Ramadhan/ Editor: Krisiandi)

Sources

https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/06/15/21080001/asisten-pribadi-imam-nahrawi-divonis-4-tahun-penjara.