Government supplier gets seven years for procurement bid fiasco

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 02/11/2009 5:52 PM  

The Corruption Court on Wednesday sentenced government supplier David Kurniawan Wiranata to seven years in prison for his role in a graft case involving the procurement of fishing tools for fishermen affected by the 2006 tsunami in West Java. 

The court also demanded the defendant pay Rp 250 million (US$21,700) or serve an additional six months in jail should he fail to pay the fine. 

David will also have to pay Rp 1.1 billion in compensation to the state or spend an additional three years in jail if he cannot return the money to the state. 

A panel of judges said that defendant, who was director of fishing company PT Buntala Bersaudara Darmaja, had been proven to have violated Article 2 of the 1999 Corruption Law and the 2003 presidential decree stipulating a minimum requirement of three companies in any bid. 

"The defendant made personal gains of up to Rp 776.6 million from the procurement bid, while receiving another Rp 1.15 billion from another company, PT Yendi Nesa Prima," presiding judge Teguh Hariyanto said. 

He added David had given Rp 570 million in bribes to West Java Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Agency officials Asep Hartiyoman and Ade Kusuma to secure the bid. 

David said he would file an appeal, while the prosecutors have yet to decide.(ewd)