Published: October 10, 2006
JAKARTA, Indonesia Indonesia's former top detective was sentenced to
18 months in jail on Tuesday for receiving a luxury car from a
criminal suspect, a rare guilty verdict against a member of the
country's corruption-plagued police force.
The short sentence against Suyitno Landung may concern anti-graft
activists, however.
Head judge Sudarmadji said Landung received the car from a suspect in
a banking scandal in 2002.
Landung did not say whether he would appeal the verdict handed down by
the South Jakarta District Court.
State news agency Antara quoted him as saying during earlier trials
that he used the car for official police business, and as such it
could not be considered a bribe.
Police in Indonesia are notorious for receiving bribes to ignore
offenses, ranging from traffic violations to more serious crimes. But
few senior officers have ever been brought to trial for graft.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won elections last year on vows to
fight corruption, which is endemic at all levels of government. While
the campaign has scored several victories, most analysts say it has so
far been only a partial success.
JAKARTA, Indonesia Indonesia's former top detective was sentenced to
18 months in jail on Tuesday for receiving a luxury car from a
criminal suspect, a rare guilty verdict against a member of the
country's corruption-plagued police force.
The short sentence against Suyitno Landung may concern anti-graft
activists, however.
Head judge Sudarmadji said Landung received the car from a suspect in
a banking scandal in 2002.
Landung did not say whether he would appeal the verdict handed down by
the South Jakarta District Court.
State news agency Antara quoted him as saying during earlier trials
that he used the car for official police business, and as such it
could not be considered a bribe.
Police in Indonesia are notorious for receiving bribes to ignore
offenses, ranging from traffic violations to more serious crimes. But
few senior officers have ever been brought to trial for graft.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won elections last year on vows to
fight corruption, which is endemic at all levels of government. While
the campaign has scored several victories, most analysts say it has so
far been only a partial success.
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