Pekanbaru, Riau (Antara) - Former governor of Sumatra's Riau province Rusli Zainal was sentenced to 14 years in jail for corruption here on Wednesday. In its verdict, read at the Pekanbaru corruption court, the panel of judges led by Bachtiar Sitompul, with I Ketut Suarta and Rachman Silaen as members, stated that the former governor was proven to have received bribes in connection with the National Sports Games (PON) event and abused his power on forestry permits. The sentence was lower than the prosecutor's demand for 17 years in jail and revocation of his political rights. With regard to the PON case, Rusli was proven to have received rewards in exchange for smoothing the process of the passage of a regional regulation related to the implementation of the PON in Riau in 2012. In connection with the case, the defendant had also been accused of taking bribes from contractors, paying bribes to regional legislative assembly members up to Rp1.8 billion and receiving Rp500 million through convict and also his adjutant Lukman Abbas for the revision of the PON bylaw. With regard to the forestry case, the former governor for two terms from 2003 to 2013 was proven to have abused his power with regard to the issuance of the Annual Work Plan for Utilization of Timber Products from Industrial Forests (BKT UPHHKHT) for nine corporations in the Pelalawan and Siak districts in 2004. In the BKT UPHHKHT case, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said the defendant had issued BKT UPHHKHTs beyond his authority to PT Mitra Tani Nusa Sejati, PT Rimba Mutiara Permai, PT Selaras Abadi Utama, CV Bhakti Praja Mulia, CV Putri Lindung Bulan, PT Mitra Hutani Jaya, PT Satria Perkasa Agung (in Pelalawan district) and PT Seraya Sumber Lestari. All these companies distributed natural forest woods to PT Indah Kiat Pulp and Paper (IKPP) and PT Riou Andalan Pulp and Paper (RAPP), which until now have remained free from prosecution. Because of his actions, the country had lost Rp265 billion. In the indictment, the prosecutor said that a total of 30,879 hectares of natural forests had been destroyed by the nine companies for the development of acacia plantations, due to the issuance of BKT UPHHKHT by the defendant. (*) Reporting by Fazar Muhardi

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