Reuters AlertNet Full site
Homepage | Newsdesk | NGO Latest | Crisis briefings | Country profiles | MediaWatch | Jobs | Alerting | Login

NEWSDESK

Indonesian ex-MP gets 8 yrs jail for forest bribe
05 Jan 2009 08:01:30 GMT
 Source: Reuters
JAKARTA, Jan 5 (Reuters) - 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 (18,000 acres) 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. ($1=10,850 rupiah) (Writing by Telly Nathalia; Editing by Sara Webb and Jerry Norton)


AlertNet news is provided by
Email this article       Send comments

NGO latest

•  Strong earthquakes hit Indonesia's Papua - World Vision aid at the ready
World Vision - Asia Pacific

•  Tsunami response strengthens community coping
IFRC - Switzerland

•  The search for safe, sustainable alternatives to firewood: Bridging the gap between energy tech experts and humanitarians
Women's Commission - USA

•  The American Red Cross Helps Build New Community for Tsunami Survivors in the Maldives
Red Cross - USA

•  Indonesia - Mawardi's story: Recovering from tragedy
IFRC - Switzerland

MORE >>

Latest news

•  Indonesian ex-MP gets 8 yrs jail for forest bribe

•  VIDEO: Deadly quake hits Indonesia

•  Four killed as quake strikes Indonesia's Papua

•  Magnitude 7.6 quake hits north of Papua - USGS

•  Global whale "hot spot" discovered off East Timor

MORE >>

AlertNet news is provided by

Background information

Facts & figures
Indonesia

Related articles

Breaking stories
 Indonesian ex-MP gets 8 yrs jail for forest bribe (1 minute ago)

VIDEO: Deadly quake hits Indonesia (1 minute ago)

AlertNet insight
 Aid agency study pinpoints climate change hotspots (1 minute ago)

Aid agency news feed
 Strong earthquakes hit Indonesia's Papua - World Vision aid at the ready (1 minute ago)

Blogs
 Jakarta Declaration on the Safety of Journalists in Asia-Pacific (1 minute ago)

Maps
 MAP: Global Incidence of H5N1 Virus (1 minute ago)


Del.icio.us Del.icio.us  |   Digg Digg  |   NewsVine NewsVine  |   Reddit Reddit   
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-04T135027Z_01_JAK14_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-INDONESIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK14.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-04T134812Z_01_JAK13_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-INDONESIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK13.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-04T133623Z_01_JAK12_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-INDONESIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK12.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-04T082118Z_01_JAK09_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-INDONESIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK09.htm
Thumb for /thefacts/imagerepository/RTRPICT/2009-01-04T081831Z_01_JAK08_RTRIDSP_2_QUAKE-INDONESIA_mainimage.jpg|/thenews/pictures/JAK08.htm

Residents mill around the street after an earthquake in Manokwari, West Papua January 4, 2009. A series of powerful earthquakes off the northern coast of West Papua, Indonesia, early on Sunday ...


More pictures | Galleries
Disclaimers |  Copyright |  Privacy |  Contact Us |  Feedback |  About Us |  RSS XML

Last updated:Mon Jan 5 08:02:41 2009