SINGARAJA

A court this week sentenced an official responsible for handing out village social assistance payments to a year in jail and ordered he repay a total of Rp129.739 million (US$14,500).

Ketut Suparma, of Tirtasari, was also ordered to repay Rp50 million ($5,600) and fined Rp79.74 million ($8,900) after a three-judge panel found him guilty of official corruption.

He was given time to pay but in default of payment his property would be auctioned to meet the fines. If he failed to raise the necessary funds he would serve three months’ extra.

Prosecutors had sought an 18-month jail sentence.

Presiding Judge Made Sujana said Suparma had violated Law No. 20 of 2001 on the eradication of corruption.

But Suparma’s lawyer, Wayan Sedana, said his client would most likely appeal. The case involved Rp120 million ($13,400) in natural disaster relief funds largely disbursed by Suparma to develop traditional arts and other village interests.

Sedana said the actual loss to the state, on the formula officially used to calculate value, was Rp101.64 million ($11,300).