Businessman Sentenced for Bribing Officials

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - A businessman was sentenced to five years for paying bribes to officials including parliamentary members in connection with the Integrated Communication Radio System project of the Ministry of Forestry in 2007 here on Wednesday.

The Jakarta Corruption Court had sentenced Anggoro Widjojo, the owner of PT Masaro Radiokom, to five years in jail and a fine of Rp250 million or two more months in jail for failing to pay.

"I have accepted the sentence," Anggoro said when Chief Judge Nani Indrawati asked whether he had accepted the ruling.

The panel of judges ruled that Anggoro was proven to have extended money to then chairman of the House of Representatives Commission IV, Yusuf Erwin Faishal, who had later distributed it to a number of Commission IV members, the 2005-2007 secretary general of the ministry of forestry Boen Mochtar, totaling US$20,000; and former forestry minister MS Kaban, totaling US$45,000, Rp50 million, and Sing$40,000.

Besides cash, Anggoro had also given two units of elevators worth US$58,581 and a generator set worth Rp350 million, and had paid the cost of installations worth above Rp206 million on the request of former minister MS Kaban to install at the Menara Dakwah Building, which is the center of activities of Kabans Moon and Star Party.

Anggoro was found guilty of violating corruption laws.

When asked about bribing Kaban and also Kabans status, Anggoro replied, "no comment." (WDY)