Asia-Pacific News
Former health minister goes on trial for graft in Indonesia
Dec 17, 2009, 8:40 GMT
Jakarta - Indonesia's former health minister went on trial Thursday on charges of corruption for his alleged role in a graft case involving millions of dollars.
Ahmad Sujudi is accused of having enriched himself or other people and caused losses to the state of up to 104 billion rupiah (11 million dollars).
Sujudi is also charged with abusing power during his term as health minister from 2001 to 2004.
If found guilty, he could face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The country's powerful anti-corruption commission identified Sujudi as a suspect in May.
He is the latest of a number of former government officials brought to trial for corruption in Indonesia, which ranks as one of the world's most corrupt nations.
The anti-corruption commission was created in 2003 to tackle endemic graft and given the power to arrest and prosecute suspects.
It has been praised by the public for a series of successful prosecutions of legislators, former ministers, a prosecutor and central bank officials, one of whom is an in-law of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
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