Former Indonesian logistics chief gets 10 years for graft

Feb 4, 2008, 12:27 GMT

Jakarta - An Indonesian court sentenced Monday to 10 years in prison for former head of the country's powerful state logistic agency for his involvement in graft case over rice exports to South Africa several years go.

The South Jakarta District Court founded Widjanarko Puspoyo, former chief of the national Logistic Agency (Bulog), guilty for corruption charges.

Chief Judge Artha Theresia Silalahi also ruled that Puspoyo found guilty of abusing power for receiving money from alleged corruption cases as his capacity of the Bulog chief.

Government prosecutors accused Puspoyo to have involved in a series of corruption, including graft case over cattle imported from Australia and rice exports to South Africa as well as received money from alleged corruption activity during the period of 2001 to 2005.

However, the court said in its ruling that Puspoyo did not found guilty in graft case over cattle imported from Australia dated back to 2001 that caused losses to the state up to 11 billion rupiah (1.2 million dollars.)

In addition of handing down 10 years in prison, the court also ordered Puspoyo to pay back to the state up to 78.3 billion rupiah (8.5 million dollars), as well as paid a 500,000 rupiah fine.

Bulog, which was set up under former autocratic president Suharto, distributes and manages stocks of key commodities such as rice and sugar in South-East Asia's biggest economy.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won Indonesia's first direct presidential vote in October 2004 on a pledge to end corruption, considered by many as the main obstacle to foreign investment in the country.

Since Yudhoyono's high-profile anti-graft campaign started, officials ranging from former lawmakers and a former minister have been jailed on corruption charges.

However, critics have claimed that the anti-graft campaign has not taken on some powerful vested interests, while the administration has not always been on the same page over the issue.