Central Bank Governor Wins Corruption Appeal

Indonesia’s high court has cleared the country’s central bank governor of corruption, overturning a three-year prison term handed down earlier this year, a court official said. Sjahril Sabirin, who has maintained he is innocent, was not immediately available for comment. He had continued in his post.

The $80 million in central bank funds at issue were supposed to temporarily prop up Bank Bali. But prosecutors said the money was instead illegally siphoned off to finance former President B.J. Habibie’s 1999 election campaign. Habibie was later forced to drop out of the presidential race.