Nunan Swaps High-Fives as Court Hears Prison Demand

Graft defendant Nunun Nurbaetie appeared unfazed on Monday when the prosecution at the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court recommended that she be given a four year jail sentence.

The 61-year-old smiled throughout Monday’s court session, so much so that presiding Judge Sudjatmiko warned her to pay attention to the hearing as prosecutors from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) delivered their closing argument.

She remained composed throughout, even when lead prosecutor Muhammad Rum said “the defendant should be jailed for four years and pay a Rp 200 million [$22,000] fine.”

After the session, one of her lawyers, Mulyaharja, approached her and gave her a high-five while the pair exchanged smiles.

Nunun continued to grin as she was escorted to a holding room where friends and family members were waiting. They swapped jokes and the room was filled with laughter audible in a neighboring room.

But another lawyer, Ina Rachman, claimed that the businesswoman was devastated by the prosecution’s penalty demands, which included a sentence one year shorter than the maximum jail term possible for giving a bribe.

“We are disappointed by the demands because they are not based on the facts that were presented to the court,” an emotional Ina said.

Nunun is on trial for allegedly bribing members of the House of Representatives banking commission with Rp 480 billion in traveler’s checks.

The checks, the prosecution said, were given shortly after the lawmakers voted for Nunun’s socialite friend, economist Miranda Goeltom, in an election for the senior deputy governor post at Bank Indonesia in 2004.

By law, candidates for the leadership of an independent body such as the central bank are subject to a House screening process.

A total of 28 lawmakers have been jailed for receiving the bribe money, and if convicted, Nunun would likely be the first person jailed for paying a bribe.

Nunun’s arrest in Bangkok last year followed a two-year overseas escapade. During her time on the run, she evaded court and KPK summonses on the grounds that she was suffering a mysterious illness that reportedly caused her memory loss.

But there have been no traces of memory problems during the two-month trial. Nunun recalled the case in great detail and was ready to confront witnesses implicating her in the case, including Arie Malangjudo, a former employee at her company.

When Arie was summoned to testify, Nunun insisted that Arie was the person distributing the checks. Arie, she claimed, left her company and started his own palm oil plantation company before the alleged bribery took place.

Nunun also confronted Miranda when she testified. Nunun challenged Miranda’s testimony that the two were only casual friends.

“How could you do this to me?” she told Miranda. “We’re friends. Our daughters went to school together.”

The KPK recently named Miranda as a suspect despite Miranda claiming that she had no knowledge of Nunun’s alleged provision of the checks.
 
Suara Pembaruan