Submit your comments on this article |
Southeast Asia |
Aceh governor sent to prison for corruption |
2005-06-24 |
Indonesian anti-corruption officials hauled the governor of tsunami-hit Aceh province from his hospital bed to a Jakarta prison to serve a 10-year sentence for graft, despite his plea that he was too sick to be in jail. Abdullah Puteh was ordered jailed by the country's newly established anti-corruption court in April and fined 3.8 billion rupiah ($US400,000) for his role in marking up the price of a Russian helicopter bought by the province. Judges at the Jakarta appellate court upheld the sentence earlier this month, despite alleged attempts to bribe them. Puteh had been treated in a VVIP room at a Jakarta international hospital since June 17 and his doctors said he had severe heart and gastric problems. But physicians from the country's top heart hospital, who were asked to give a second opinion, said the governor was healthy enough and did not need to be treated in hospital. |
Posted by:Fred |