Former central bank governor leaves prison

Former governor of Bank Indonesia, Burhanuddin Abdullah, has been released from Sukamiskin prison in Bandung, West Java this morning after serving his jail sentence since October 2008 for graft.

"I'm fine and hopeful. Prison is a place where I got more friends. It's like a pesantren (Islamic boarding school). Now, I want to close the chapter and looking forward a promising future," Burhanuddin said.

The Corruption Court sentenced Burhanuddin to five years in jail for his role in the misuse of Rp100 billion funds at Bank Indonesia in 2004. Last year, the Jakarta High Court upheld the lower court's verdict and extended his imprisonment by six months. But the Supreme Court reduced his jail term to 3 years in August 2009.

Burhanuddin is the first central bank governor elected by the House of Representatives (DPR) through a voting process in 2003. His predecessors were mainly appointed by Presidents. Born in Garut, West Java, July 10, 1947, Burhanuddin graduated from Padjajaran University with bachelor of science in agriculture, and master in economics from Michigan State University. Then president Abdurrahman Wahid appointed him as coordinating minister for the economy in June 2001, but he served the job for few months because of impeachment of Wahid.

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