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<a href="http://www.thearticlesense.com/article/A-former-Indonesian-ambassador-to-Malaysia-has-been-jailed-i/" target="_blank">Get Paid to Submit Article like "A former Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia has been jailed i"</a><br /><br />KUALA LUMPUR: A former Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia has been jailed in Jakarta after being convicted of corruption charges involving passport renewal tariffs for Indonesians during his term here.<br /> <br /> Hadi Wayarabi Alhadar was found guilty by the Corruption Crimes Court in Jakarta on Wednesday, with the former envoy who served here between 1999 and 2003, jailed 36 months and ordered to pay RM2.7mil.<br /> <br /> The head of the Indonesian Immigration Unit at the embassy here then, Suparba W. Amiarsa, received a similar jail sentence and ordered to pay RM2.3mil.<br /> <br /> At least six other Indonesian Embassy personnel were said to have been recalled following the uncovering of the scam, said to date back to 1999.<br /> <br /> The Indonesian Foreign Ministry commenced investigations in 2005 after reports surfaced that Indonesian applicants here had been forced to pay double the amount (RM40 instead of RM20) stipulated in order to get their passport renewals expedited.<br /> <br /> The ministry became suspicious after huge amounts of funds were transferred out, with the Indonesian Consulate in Penang also involved.<br /> <br /> In September last year, former Indonesian Consul-General in Penang Erick Hikmat Setiawan was jailed 20 years in Jakarta on a charge of misappropriating funds totalling RM17mil.<br /> <br /> According to unofficial estimates, there are at least two million Indonesians working and residing in Malaysia.<br /> <br /> Indonesian embassy officials confirmed that Hadi’s successor, Rusdihardjo, had also been questioned in Jakarta in connection with the scam.<br /> <br /> The Indonesian Government has not posted an ambassador to replace Rusdihardjo, a former Indonesian police chief, who completed his term here this January.<br /> <br /> Indonesian Embassy First Secretary (Information) Eka A. Suripto confirmed that the embassy had been investigated by Jakarta on the passport renewal scam.<br /> <br /> “I can tell you for sure that everything has been revamped now. Things are in order. The directive is out ... that there will be no mercy for any of our personnel involved in any cheating,” he told The Star.<br /> <br /> He advised Indonesian passport applicants to deal only with embassy counter staff and not go through touts and unauthorised personnel.<br /> <br /> Eka said the embassy had reduced the waiting period for passport renewals from 40 days to 24 hours now.<br>