Why not add Construction Management and Consulting to your Home Building business? New construction projects are scarce and the competition is fierce. Take advantage of your home building experience and turn it into another source of income. Many Home Buyers and Investors having homes built are willing to pay an experienced Builder or Architect to act as their Project Manager or Consultant. This service is quietly but quickly becoming a typical part of the building process, especially in high end home construction. Savvy Builders and Architects are earning $50,000 – $100,000 per project to oversee construction of new homes, for the home owner. Your job is to protect the owner from being taken advantage of by another Builder. Some typical duties include:
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• Weekly meetings with the Owner, General Contractor, Architect, Designer and other parties involved in the project to discuss scheduling, coordination, plans, specifications, and selections.
• Oversee the General Contractor to assure the owner that the plans, specifications and schedule are being followed. The Builder is responsible for the day to day management and interaction with subcontractors and Village Officials.
• Collect insurance certificates from the Builder and all vendors.
• Assist the owner and Builder with the material selection and design process.
• Review and approve or disapprove invoices, change orders, and payout requests issued by the Builder.
• You may also be asked to manage projects associated with the home, outside of the Builders contract.
Simple right? This is work that you have been doing every day for 20 – 30 years. Overhead is very low including insurance costs, as only professional liability insurance is required. In the area where I build, consultants began to show up on projects about 5 years ago. I was very leery at first, as some consultants were not qualified and had very little knowledge of home construction, however many were retired Builders and Architects, and were very helpful during the construction process. Several years ago I was referred to a client building a large custom home, seeking a consultant to manage construction of his new home, as he was very busy with business, and frequently out of town. As the new construction market was starting to slow down, and there were not many jobs out ahead, I accepted the job. The project went very well, and the owner referred me to several friends building homes. Now along with building new homes, I have consistently managed many home building projects as a consultant representing the owner. My consulting business is currently more productive and profitable than my home building business, with fewer headaches.
The home building industry may never be the same. If you are looking for a profitable business that you are already qualified to do…try Construction Management and Consulting, you won’t be disappointed.
Author: Patrick McGreal
30 Years of Home Building
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Fractional androgen
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Anabolic agent
The Ivy Foursquare Natadrol “agent for promoting composition these components are known factors slimming joint repair products, is also considered as an additional anti-cortisol. Cissus assumptions, steroid agent is in muscle cells, and thus, there several reports of its use. Facts have proved that this is a very effective ingredient Ivy, according to numerous studies and reports published anedóticos to reduce obesity, increase healing.
Natadrol not the first to use the supplement Cissus exposure and wound healing and quality of development is generally accepted to Ivy and other products mainly. Nutritional ingredients are suitable complementary part of the muscles of the project, so that makes sense, because Cissus products should work well with other ingredients.
pSARM cofactor
pSARM or phytosanitary SARM is a term used to indicate a trend, herbal preparations of testosterone can improve muscle androgen diameter. Natadrol hibiscus extract has shown that the anabolic muscle of mice is not the side or estrogénicos androgénica. Hibiscus extract is preferably obtained as an aqueous extract, as well as other androgens basic extract. , The Curculigo Orchiodes plant extract can increase testosterone, increase sexual desire, such as testicular hormone. Two powerful SARM plant is a welcome addition to androgens and anabolic agents should promote a balance of extreme muscle building. Curculigo, hibiscus scientific literature, Sarma temperament in androgen-sensitive tissue.
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Far too often people overlook the importance of using the proper tools when cooking fine meals. While there is nothing in the world that can quite compare to cooking with the finest and freshest of ingredients, these things can only be enhanced by making use of the perfect tools for the job at hand.
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When it comes to pots and pans and skillets you should keep in mind that conductivity is of extreme importance. You should also select pots and pans that are made of a heavier gauge. This allows your pans to heat evenly avoiding hot spots, which can lead to food that may ‘stick’ to your pan or scorch during the cooking process. This means that simply stopping in at your local mass market retailer and purchasing any old set of pots and pans is probably not the best course of action for the best possible quality in your kitchen.
Kitchen knives are also important ingredients in the kitchens of today. If you plan to prepare many meals in your kitchen, then the quality of your knives is of the utmost importance. Your knives are an investment you shouldn’t have to make too often in your lifetime. For this reason, select a really good set and be prepared to make a sizeable investment in your knives. You will never understand, unless you’ve tried to prepare foods with knives of inferior quality, just how important it is to purchase good quality and well-balanced knives for your kitchen. You should also try the handles in your hand to see how comfortable they feel before purchasing a set of knives. If you do a lot of chopping and cutting during your meal preparation and cooking you will want to make sure that the knives you are using feel comfortable in your hands.
If you are like me and plan on cooking a great deal of meat then you should also invest in a jacquard. This useful tool helps not only when it comes to tenderizing rather rough and tumble cuts of meat but also pierces the surface so that rubs and marinades can penetrate for a more flavorful experience. This is by far one of my favorite kitchen gadgets and it isn’t a sizeable investment for the added value it provides to meals.
A good quality grater is another tool that no kitchen should be complete without. There are many who feel that with all the pre shredded cheese products on the market today this tool is obsolete but nothing could be further from the truth. First of all, pre grated and pre packaged cheese simply doesn’t touch the quality of flavor that freshly grated cheese provides. Second, cheese isn’t the only thing that these graters are useful for grating. Graters are excellent tools for grating citrus fruits, spices, garlic, chocolate, and even onions. If you do a good deal of baking in addition to your cooking you should not overlook the value of having a quality grater in your kitchen.
Of course there are many more cooking tools than I could possibly mention here. Those mentioned above simply happen to be among my personal favorites. There are all kinds of appliances that in my humble opinion no kitchen is truly complete without. In addition to these great appliances there are many tools that are simple matters of preference. Do you peel enough potatoes to warrant a special device for doing so or do you simply opt to purchase an ergonomically designed potato peeler and peel them by hand? There are no one size fits all answers when it comes to kitchen tools and many of us are often limited by serious budget constraints and restrictions. My best advice if this is the situation for you is to purchase the best possible quality you can afford and build from there. Even if it means replacing one pot or knife at a time until you can manage a complete set of superior quality cooking tools you will find it well worth the price you’ve paid in the long run.
With residential real estate prices at an all-time low, most people in the market to buy a home automatically assume they can get the most for their dollar by purchasing a used home. While there are some great deals on the market for used homes right now, there are also some amazing deals for undeveloped land.
Rather than settling for someone else’s home and essentially inheriting someone else’s ‘problems’, why not build a new house exactly as you want it and exactly where you want it?
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For most people, the idea of building their dream home seems like an impossible goal to accomplish. Really, it’s a lot easier than most people think. If you have good credit and a down payment, you can accomplish your dream with a construction loan.
How Construction Loans Work
The most popular construction loan product available today is called a construction-to-permanent loan. The construction-to-permanent loan covers you from the ground up. It provides financing for the lot, financing for construction and it converts to a mortgage when the construction of the house is complete.
Just like a standard mortgage product, you can finance the land and house together, and avoid paying PMI with only 20% down. During the construction process, the buyer makes interest-only payments at a fixed interest rate. When construction is complete, the loan can be converted to a 15-year or 30-year fixed rate mortgage.
Some banks will offer interest reserve accounts to borrowers. An interest reserve account allows the borrower to avoid making interest-only payments during the construction process. The bank will figure out how much your interest-only payments will be and they will factor the total amount into your overall loan. They will deposit the funds into a separate account in which your interest payments will be made from during construction. This arrangement is perfect for borrowers that are paying rent or have existing mortgage payments to make during the construction process.
Your licensed contractor will develop a ‘release schedule’ which will outline the construction schedule on a monthly basis and illustrate the funding that will be needed each month to complete each step of construction. During construction, your contractor will receive ‘release payments’ from your bank in order to fund the project as it progresses.
Steps to Take
If a construction-to-permanent loan seems like a good fit for you, here’s what you need to do to get started:
1. Determine How Much You Can Afford
You will need to determine how much you can afford your total loan amount to be, including land. There are several loan calculators available online which serve as a great tool for preliminary investigation. Keep in mind that you will need at least 20% down to avoid paying PMI and make sure you factor in taxes and insurance.
If you know a reputable building contractor, feel free to get them involved at this point. They will be able to give you a rough idea of what size home you can get for your money, which will help you determine how much you can spend on land.
2. Find Lenders
While there are thousands of national lenders with competitive rates online, your best bet with a construction-to-permanent loan is often a local bank. Local banks tend to have a better pulse on the local market and are more flexible than national lenders.
Talk to more than one bank so you can compare loan products and rates.
If you know a reputable building contractor, find out what lenders they have worked with in the past and obtain their contact information. Most builders have relationships with lenders and can get you on the phone with the right individual quickly.
3. Obtain Pre-Approval
Once you have determined what you can afford and have identified a few banks, go through the pre-approval process with each bank. Make sure they include estimated taxes, outline your closing costs and offer you a competitive interest rate. Ask them to provide you with a pre-approval letter and a formal quote outlining the details of the loan.
4. Select a Contractor
If you haven’t already identified a contractor, select a reputable building contractor that is insured and licensed with experience building new homes. Make sure you obtain references and confirm that they have a high Better Business Bureau Rating, A+ preferred.
Work with your builder to obtain or develop architectural drawings for your new home. Have them put together a comprehensive budget outlining the total cost to build. Make sure your builder includes a water service or a well, a septic system or a public sewer connection, building permits and other incidentals.
5. Select a Piece of Land
Once you have your pricing in for your home construction, you’ll know exactly how much you have to spend on land. Select a reputable realtor to help you identify land within your budget.
Keep your builder involved in the land selection process so they can make site visits to the properties and help you identify any problems or obstacles the lot may present.
Make sure you verify that building permits can be obtained from the local municipality and that the lot has septic and well approval or that public utilities are available. Water and sewer can often make or break a budget, make sure every incidental item has been considered prior to making an offer.
Other Options
Some builders will offer to finance the entire project, allowing the homebuyer to simply make settlement when construction is complete. In most cases a builder will require an approval letter from a bank, a deposit and a legal agreement between the builder and the buyer. This is often a good option for homebuyers that want to streamline the transaction and stay out of the construction loan process.
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Monday, October 12, 2015
Wikinews interviewed Australian painter Pricasso on his unique artwork created using his penis, and how his art relates to freedom of expression and issues of censorship. He is to be featured at the upcoming adult entertainment event Sexpo Australia in Melbourne this November 5 to November 8.
Monday, June 6, 2011
A jury last week cleared four officers from London’s Metropolitan Police of assaulting a Muslim arrested on suspicion of al-Qaeda involvement. After trial their lawyer described the charge as “unfounded and unsubstantiated” – but in 2009 the police said Babar Ahmed, 34, had suffered “a serious, gratuitous and prolonged” assault.
Ahmed has been previously paid £60,000 in a civil case, which the jury was unaware of. After one hour of deliberations, they acquited Pc Roderick James-Bowen, 40; Pc Mark Jones, 43; Pc Nigel Cowley, 34; and Detective Constable John Donohue, 37, of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The four officers claimed at trial that Ahmed’s wounds were either self-inflicted or caused during legal restraint during his December 2003 capture. They said he had fought hard against arrest. The prosecutor contended the four officers, from the specialist Territorial Support Group, “punched and [beat Ahmed] on the floor,” calling him a “fucking bastard” and a “fucking cunt.”
“On the floor the assault continued as his wife called out for the police to stop,” Jonathan Laidlaw, prosecuting, told the jury. This was followed, he claimed, by a visit to Ahmed’s prayer room, where he was positioned as if praying and asked “Where is your god now? Pray to him.”
The prosecution alleged further abuse against Ahmed in a police van en route to the police station, with Ahmed saying at Charing Cross police station he was attacked again in an area not covered by CCTV surveillance. He was left, in the words of Laidlaw, with “areas of bruising, reddening and grazes to [his] head and neck, bruising to the chest, areas of bruising to [his] back, extensive bruising and grazing of the arms. In effect, there were injuries all over the victim’s body.”
The defence noted that MI5 bugged Ahmed’s house and a recording of the arrest failed to show elements of the alleged attack. James-Bowen told the court of a “ferocious” fight with Ahmed, who used “significant force.” Jones told the jury his superiors had informed him Ahmed had been trained in both armed and unarmed fighting.
Less than a year earlier, a similar operation in Manchester resulted in an officer stabbed to death by a suspect now serving life in prison. The four officers dealing with Ahmed had been warned their suspect posed a similar threat.
Speaking outside court, their solicitor, Colin Reynolds said the men were now able to “[get] on with their professional lives” following the dismissal by the jury of “unfounded and unsubstantiated allegations.” Local media had been barred during trial from reporting that, between the two of them, Jones and James-Bowen had been accused of a total 40 assaults from 1993 to 2007, all of which have been rejected. Jones was previously tried for assaulting two teens in the back of a police van and yelling racist abuse at them, but was cleared.
Fiona Murphy, who represents Ahmed, was critical of the Independent Police Complaints Commission. “We now call upon the IPCC to put its abject failures in relation to this case to one side and to give proper consideration to the misconduct aspects.” Ahmed released a statement, saying, “Today’s verdict means that no police officer has been held to account for this abuse. Therefore I urge the Metropolitan police to bring disciplinary proceedings against all officers who were personally involved in the assault – and those who turned a blind eye.” His father read it out at a post-trial press conference.
Ahmed was never charged, but was re-arrested in 2004 and has spent the last seven years in custody facing extradition to the US. The US seeks to try him for fundraising for militancy amid claims he is a member of al-Qaeda; though initially a ruling in favour of extradition was reached an appeal is pending.
Judge Geoffrey Rivlin QC, who oversaw the trial, expressed support for Ahmed’s position detained without trial: “I express the hope that his ordeal as a man in detention in this country for a number of years without trial is brought to an end as soon as possible, either by his extradition or by his release. It is no concern of this court as to which, but it is a matter of concern and I would have thought should be a matter of concern to the public at large, quite apart from Mr Ahmed, that here is a man who has been in custody for literally years without knowing what his fate is to be.”
Monday, April 8, 2013
Wikinews interviewed David Palmer, a member of the USA 2013 World Wheelchair Curling Championship team, about the 2014 Winter Paralympics being held in Sochi, Russia.
((Wikinews)) The US qualified a team for the Sochi Games. How likely are you to be on the final team? As these games would be your first, how excited are you about the possibility of representing your country?
((WN)) Were you happy with your team’s fourth place finish at this year’s World Championships?
((WN)) What steps is the team taking to try to get a gold medal in Sochi?
((WN)) Why do you participate in wheelchair curling? Why not wheelchair fencing, tennis, basketball or athletics?
((WN)) What is the nature of your disability? Do you use a wheelchair for most daily activities?
((WN)) How does being a parent impact your ability to compete at elite levels?
((WN)) Does participating in wheelchair curling cost a lot money?
((WN)) How do you afford to compete at the highest level? Do you have any sponsorship deals?
((WN)) Do you think USA Paralympic competitors get enough financial support to enable the country to compete at the highest level? Is funding equitable in the United States across sports and competitor visibility?
((WN)) What are your thoughts on the classification system and processes for your sport? Do you know of anyone who has been impacted as a result of it?
((WN)) Have you gotten much media coverage? What do you think of media coverage for curling in general and wheelchair curling specifically?
((WN)) What has been your favorite moment as a wheelchair curling competitor?
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), the agency responsible for investigating transportation accidents in the United States, released updates on three major investigations on June 14.
The NTSB, well known publicly for its involvement in the investigation of aviation incidents which involve harm or loss of human life, is also an agency that oversees the transportation of refined petroleum and gas products, chemicals and minerals.
The agency determined the cause of a natural gas pipeline explosion that killed six. It also detailed the cause of an accidental release of 204,000 gallons of anhydrous ammonia from a pipeline in an environmentally sensitive area, and released preliminary information involving two commercial aircraft coming within 30-50 feet of each other on a runway.
In the gas explosion disaster, the towing vessel Miss Megan, which was of specifications that did not require inspection by the United States Coast Guard, was being operated in the West Cote Blanche Bay oil field in Louisiana by Central Boat Rentals on behalf of Athena Construction on October 12, 2006. The Miss Megan was pushing barge IBR 234, which was tied along the starboard side of barge Athena 106, en route to a pile-driving location. Athena Construction did not require its crews to pin mooring spuds (vertical steel shafts extending through wells in the bottom of the boat and used for mooring) securely in place on its barges and consequently this had not been done. During the journey, the aft spud on the Athena 106 released from its fully raised position. The spud dropped into the water and struck a submerged, high-pressure natural gas pipeline. The resulting gas released ignited and created a fireball that engulfed the towing vessel and both barges. The master of the towing vessel and four barge workers were killed. The Miss Megan deckhand and one barge worker survived. One barge worker is officially listed as missing.
The NTSB blames Athena Construction for the disaster, citing in the final report that Athena Construction’s manual contained no procedures mandating the use of the safety devices on the spud winch except during electrical work. It was found that if the Athena 106 crew had used the steel pins to secure the retracted spuds during their transit, a pin would have prevented the aft spud from accidentally deploying. Furthermore, the spud would have remained locked in its lifted position regardless of whether the winch brake mechanism, the spud’s supporting cable, or a piece of connecting hardware had failed.
The NTSB also found that contributing to the accident was the failure of Central Boat Rentals to require, and the Miss Megan master to ensure, that the barge spuds were securely pinned before getting under way. The Board noted that investigators found no evidence that the Miss Megan master or deckhand checked whether the spuds had been properly secured before the tow began. While Central Boat Rentals had a health and safety manual and trained its crews, the written procedures did not specifically warn masters about the need to secure spuds or other barge equipment before navigating. The NTSB stated that the company’s crew should have been trained to identify potential safety hazards on vessels under their control.
NTSB Chairman Mark Rosenker said of the investigation’s results, “Having more rigorous requirements in place could have prevented this accident from occurring. Not only do these regulations need to be put in place but it is imperative that they are enforced and adhered to.”
The NTSB has made a number of safety recommendations as a result of this accident and the subsequent investigation. Recommendations were made to Athena Construction and Central Boat Rentals to develop procedures and train the employees of its barges to use the securing pins to hold spuds safely in place before transiting from one site to another.
The most major of the other recommendations are:
To the Occupational Safety and Health Administration:
To the U. S. Coast Guard
The NTSB also released the result of its investigation into an environmental disaster in Kansas on October 27, 2004 in which 204,000 gallons (4,858 barrels) of anhydrous ammonia was spilled from a ruptured pipeline in Kingman into an environmentally sensitive area. Chemicals from the pipeline entered a nearby stream and killed more than 25,000 fish, including some fish from threatened species.
The incident reached the scale that it did due to operator error after the initial rupture. The 8 5/8-inch diameter steel pipeline, which was operated by Enterprise Products Operating L.P., burst at 11:15 a.m. in an agricultural area about 6 miles east of Kingman, Kansas. A drop in pipeline pressure, indicating abnormal conditions or a possible compromise in pipeline integrity, set off alarms displayed on the computerized pipeline monitoring system. Shortly after the first alarm the pipeline controller, in an attempt to remedy the low pressure, increased the flow of anhydrous ammonia into the affected section of pipeline. A total of 33 minutes elapsed between the time when the first alarm indicated a problem with the pipeline and the initiation of a shutdown.
In its initial report to the National Response Center (NRC), the pipeline operator’s accident reporting contractor reported a release of at least 20 gallons of ammonia, telling the NRC that an updated estimate of material released would be reported at a later time. No such report was ever made. Because of the inaccurate report, the arrival of representatives from the Environmental Protection Agency was delayed by a full day, affecting the oversight of the environmental damage mitigation efforts.
The cause of the rupture itself was determined to be a pipe gouge created by heavy equipment damage to the pipeline during construction in 1973 or subsequent excavation activity at an unknown time that initiated metal fatigue cracking and led to the eventual rupture of the pipeline.
“We are very fortunate that such highly toxic chemicals of the size and scope involved in this accident were not released in a populated area,” commented Rosenker. “Had this same quantity of ammonia been released near a town or city, the results could have been catastrophic.”
As a result of this accident, the NTSB made the following safety recommendations:
To the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration:
To Enterprise Products Operating L.P.:
“The severity of this release of dangerous chemicals into the community could have been prevented,” said Rosenker. “The safety recommendations that we have made, if acted upon, will reduce the likelihood of this type of accident happening again.”
As well as concluding their investigation of the above accidents, the NTSB also released preliminary information regarding a serious runway incursion at San Francisco International Airport between two commercial aircraft on May 26, 2007.
At about 1:30 p.m. the tower air traffic controller cleared SkyWest Airlines flight 5741, an Embraer 120 arriving from Modesto, California, to land on runway 28R. Forgetting about the arrival airplane, the same controller then cleared Republic Airlines flight 4912, an Embraer 170 departing for Los Angeles, to take off from runway 1L, which intersects runway 28R.
After the SkyWest airliner touched down, the Airport Movement Area Safety System (AMASS) alerted and the air traffic controller transmitted “Hold, Hold, Hold” to the SkyWest flight crew in an attempt to stop the aircraft short of runway 1L. The SkyWest crew applied maximum braking that resulted in the airplane stopping in the middle of runway 1L. As this was occurring, the captain of Republic Airlines flight 4912 took control of the aircraft from the first officer, realized the aircraft was traveling too fast to stop, and initiated an immediate takeoff. According to the crew of SkyWest 5741, the Republic Airlines aircraft overflew theirs by 30 to 50 feet. The Federal Aviation Administration has categorized the incident as an operational error.
The NTSB sent an investigator to San Francisco, who collected radar data, recorded air traffic control communications, and flight crew statements, and interviewed air traffic control personnel prior to the NTSB making the preliminary release.
Monday, March 12, 2007
24 of 26 Swiss Cantons rejected the proposal for a single health insurance system, in which premiums would be based on income and wealth. The vote on Sunday was the latest in a series of attempts to cut rising costs and ease the financial burden on citizens.
Around 71% of voters rejected the reform. Turnout was at about 46%, slightly above the Swiss average.
As expected, voters in the main German-speaking part of the country turned down the planned reform, which was supported by the centre-left but opposed by the centre-right as well as the business community, parliament and the government.
Opposition in the French and Italian speaking regions was less pronounced. The cantons Jura and Neuchâtel in the French speaking regions voted in favor of the proposed reforms.
Health insurance premiums are higher in southern and western Swiss cantons than in German-speaking areas.
The Swiss Interior Minister Pascal Couchepin said an important part of the Swiss Population appeared to be opposed to “a revolution” in health insurance but he said that he wanted current reforms currently under discussion in the Swiss Parliament to go ahead. He called on all sides, especially health insurers and the cantonal authorities, to make efforts to reduce spending on health insurance and aim for a greater cost efficiency. Currently Switzerland has 87 private insurers providing mandatory basic health care coverage for Swiss residents under a 1996 law. But costs have sky-rocketed. Over 100,000 people are not covered by health insurance due to non payment.
| To win the battle of the cost of health care, everyone must place his or her private interests behind the interests of the general public. -Pascal Couchepin at a news conference |
Opponents to the initiative argued that a single insurance system would lead to complacency and create a two-tier system, in which the wealthy would be the only ones available to afford to have additional private insurance coverage.
Supporters of the initiative said a single health insurer would increase the system’s efficiency and allow for annual savings of at least 300 million Swiss Francs (about $245 million) in administrative costs. Currently, the funding system is unbalanced, since many clients on low incomes use state subsidies to pay their premiums, according to the Green Party and the Social Democrats.
The initiative to unite all the insurance companies and introduce premiums based on wealth and income was the most recent in a series of attempts over the past ten years to reduce the public spending on health care. A proposal, similar to this recent proposal, to modify the funding system of the health insurance companies was rejected by 73% of voters in 2003.
Switzerland has the most expensive health system in Europe. Switzerland’s expenditure on health care was 11.6% in 2005, in front of Germany and France but behind the United States.
Friday, February 12, 2010
An Indonesian court has convicted the former head of the country’s anti-corruption agency of murder. The prosecution of Antasari Azhar and three others has been controversial, with some fearing the so-called “Judicial Mafia” played a role.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) already saw a proven plot to discredit it and frame its senior members. Shortly after Azhar’s arrest in May last year police came to take away Bibit Rianto and Chandra Hamzah, two deputy commissioners, to face trial for corruption. The trial, instead, unveiled a plot to convict the men of offences they had not committed. Protests in the street ensued, and locals gave corrupt officials the joint nickname of the “Judicial Mafia”.
The scandal resulted in the resignations of a chief detective and a deputy attorney general; the KPK had begun probing the attorney general’s office and that of the national police. During Azhar’s time as chair the KPK has exposed bribery at the former and prosecuted an in-law relative of the president during the country’s election preparations, with a jail sentence being the result.
The defendants had claimed political elements orchestrated a conspiracy to see the quartet convicted. The judges disagreed, with judge Herri Swantoro telling the court, “Defendant Antasari Azhar has been legitimately proven guilty of participating in persuading the carrying out of a premeditated murder.” The court’s judgement ran to 179 pages.
The case saw the four accused of plotting the March 2009 murder of tycoon Nasruddin Zulkarnaen, shot dead in his car by a motorbike assassin in Jakarta. Zulkarnaen was Azhar’s golfing partner and the businessman was alleged by the prosecution to have been blackmailing the KPK leader, who is a former prosecutor.
Azhar is alleged to have had an affair with one of Zulkarnaen’s wives, a golf caddie. With Zulkarnaen threatening to inform the press and parliament, Azhar is alleged to have plotted murder with several other officials. Police commissioner Wiliardi Wizar was accused of locating the assassins used; he claimed his senior had ordered him to testify he had been told by Azhar to kill Zulkarnaen.
Media mogul Sigid Haryo Wibisono stood accused of financing the contract killing, and businessman Jerry Hermawan Lo of arranging a meeting with the gunmen. All three were convicted alongside Azhar, who received an eighteen-year prison sentence. Wizar was jailed for twelve years, Wibisono for fifteen and Lo for five. All intend to appeal the verdicts.
One person who feels the court got it wrong is a human rights lawyer who defended Bibit and Chandra. “I think that this is all still a mystery,” said Taufik Basari. “I don’t think the judge had all the necessary facts to warrant a verdict of eighteen years.”
Despite the conviction of his relative, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono retained the presidency last June by a landslide majority. Originally elected in 2004, Yudhoyono has used an anti-corruption stance in his campaigns, heaping praise upon the KPK which Azhar was head of from December 2007 until his arrest.
The four new convicts join five men convicted of the murder in December. Alleged to have comprised the gang behind the shooting, they received sentences varying from seventeen to eighteen years imprisonment.