JAKARTA (Yosefardi) – Panel of judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court, on Thursday (Nov. 19), sentenced former Governor of Papua Barnabas Suebu to 4.5 years in jail after proven guilty in committing graft related to the Detail Engineering Design (DED) project of hydro power plants (PLTA) in Papua during 2008-2010 period that caused Rp43.36 billion of state losses.
In addition, panel of judges also ordered Barnabas to pay Rp150 billion in fine or serving additional 3 months imprisonment.
The verdict, however, is lighter than the KPK’s prosecutor demands. Previously, KPK’s prosecutor demanded 7.5 years in jail for Barnabas and asking panel of judges to order the former Governor to pay Rp200 million in fine or serving additional 6 months imprisonment.
Barnabas Suebu has been named as suspect altogether with Lamusi Didi and Johan Karubaba since April 3, 2015. Lamusi Didi is the president director of PT Konsultasi Pembangunan Irian Jaya (KPIJ) owned by Barnabas and Johan Karubaba is the head of the Papua provincial administration’s Mining & Energy office.
Barnabas served as Papua Governor for two periods (1988-1993 and 2006-2011). Ahead of the 2014 legislative election, Barnabas, who is former Golkar Party politician, joined Nasdem Party, led by media mogul Surya Paloh. But he failed to secure enough votes to sit as lawmaker at the House of Representatives (DPR). (haryantosuharman@yosefardi.com)