Indonesia: Member of parliament gets 8 years for taking bribes to unlock forest reserves
A former Indonesian member of parliament was sentenced to eight years
in jail on Monday for taking bribes in exchange for agreeing to turn
over protected forests for other uses. The corruption court’s decision
comes as Indonesia tries to tackle widespread graft and protect the
environment by clamping down on illegal logging. Al Amin Nur Nasution
was found guilty of receiving bribes in exchange for a proposal to
change the use of 7,300 hectares of protected forests in the Riau
islands, off Sumatra, the judges said.
“What the defendant has done
hurts the image of parliament, betraying the people’s trust, and is
against the government’s efforts to eradicate corruption,” said
presiding judge Edward Pattinasarani. The United Development Party
(PPP), an Islamist party, forced Nasution to resign his parliamentary
seat as a result of the case. Nasution was also ordered by the court
to pay a 250 million rupiah ($23,040) fine. He said he would appeal
the sentence. Indonesia has frequently been criticised by green groups
for failing to tackle deforestation in the vast archipelago. President
Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who faces elections this year, has promised
to tackle endemic graft. Corruption is often cited as a major
deterrent to investment in Southeast Asia’s biggest economy.
http://in.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-37288020090105
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