Former health minister to stand trial over graft case

The Jakarta Post | Mon, 12/14/2009 12:48 PM

Former health minister Ahmad Sujudi is scheduled to stand trial at the Corruption Court to probe his alleged roles in a corruption case worth Rp 71 billion (US$ 7.4 million).

Ahmad's spokesperson Radityo Djadjoeri said on Monday that the former minister would stand trial on Thursday.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Ahmad as a suspect on May 20, tempointeraktif.com reported.

He is accused to have directly appointed companies to provide health equipment in 33 hospitals in 2003. He is also suspected to have marked up the budget of the health equipment procurement program worth a total of Rp 190.5 billion.

Besides Ahmad, the KPK has declared as suspects Gunawan Pranoto and Rinaldi Jusuf from PT Kimia Farma and Rifa Jaya Mulia, the ministry's partners in the program. (ewd)