PLN Project Chief Gets 8 Years Behind Bars

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Anti Corruption Court sentenced former President Director of PT Netway Utama, Gani Abdul Gani, to eight years imprisonment. Gani was found guilty in practicing corruption in the outsourcing procurement for PLN's Roll-Out-Customer Information System Master Plan (CIS-RISI) from 2004-2006, and the provision of customer information systems based on information technology (CMS) PT PLN Distribution in East Java in 2004-2008.

The court also sentenced Gani to pay a compensation fee of Rp5.44 billion for the CIS-RISI procurement case.

For the CMS procurement case, Gani must pay a fine of US$ 24,400 and Rp4.29 billion. If he fails to pay the sum after one month since the sentencing, he will be deprived of state property. If the value of his property is insufficient to pay the fine, he will be sentenced to one year in prison.

The CIS-RISI corruption case began when PLN's marketing director for Jakarta and Tangerang, Eddie Widiono, ordered Margini Santoso, an official from PLN Disjaya and Tangerang, to directly appoint Netway as the as project's executor. Eddie lobbied PLN's interim commissioner Sofyan Djalil. Netway obtained the project and signed a cooperation agreement with PLN Disjaya and Tangerang on April 29, 2004.

MAYA NAWANGWULAN