27 Facts About Irwandi Yusuf

Irwandi Yusuf was re-elected Governor in early 2017 after serving an earlier term between 2006 and 2012.

However Irwandi Yusuf lost his 2012 re-election campaign to Zaini Abdullah following a strong challenge and intensive campaigning by other local political rivals.

Irwandi Yusuf was arrested along with Bener Meriah Regent Ahmadi and eight other individuals on corruption charges.

On 8 April 2019, Irwandi Yusuf was sentenced to seven years in prison for accepting bribes from Ahmadi totaling Rp 1.05 billion in exchange for granting number of infrastructure projects in the regency.

Irwandi Yusuf was found to have accepted Rp 8.7 billion in gratuities from businessmen during his two terms as governor.

Irwandi Yusuf was arrested along with Bener Meriah Regent Ahmadi and eight other individuals following a suspicious transaction involving provincial and regency officials, according to the Corruption Eradication Commission.

Since Irwandi Yusuf was caught red-handed by the KPK, he started to lose supports from Acehnese people.

Irwandi Yusuf held several different positions in the movement, including as a special staff office for psychological warfare in the Central Free Aceh Movement command, as negotiation coordinator, and as Expert Staff on counter-intelligence in the Central Command of the Aceh National Army.

Irwandi Yusuf spent some time in 2001 with the Red Cross, taking the opportunity to study humanitarian law.

Irwandi Yusuf was arrested in 2003 and interned in the Keudah Prison in Banda Aceh.

Irwandi Yusuf was in his jail cell when the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake struck.

Irwandi Yusuf's only means of escape was to punch a hole through the asbestos ceiling, scramble onto the roof, and hang on until the tsunami abated.

Out of the prison population of 278, Irwandi Yusuf was one of just 40 survivors.

Irwandi Yusuf took office on 8 February 2007 and established a normal relationship with the army that once pursued him as a Free Aceh Movement rebel.

Irwandi Yusuf was sentenced to seven years' prison on 8 April 2019, and upon appeal his sentence was increased to eight years.

Irwandi Yusuf remained the chairman of the Aceh Nanggroe Party during his sentence, and upon his parole he resumed his political activities.

One of Irwandi Yusuf's declared priorities was the protection of Aceh's magnificent rainforest.

Irwandi Yusuf declared a moratorium on all logging in Aceh in March 2007, and personally drove out to villages to conduct spot inspections of former logging camps, encouraging the locals to take up sustainable new professions.

The court acknowledged that the permit that Irwandi Yusuf approved allowing PT Kallista Allam to convert the Tripa peat swamp into palm oil plantations was indeed located inside the protected Leuser Ecosystem and thus in violation of current Indonesian law.

Irwandi Yusuf had spoken out amid the considerable attention that emerged in the wake of the Tripa peat swamp fires and the WALHI litigation.

In reports on 5 April 2012, Irwandi Yusuf claimed that the land grant, while legal, was 'immoral' yet intended by him to bring world attention to global inability to tackle global climate change, in effect destroying the Tripa forests to save them.

Later, after Irwandi Yusuf had left office, the apparent over-exploitation of the Tripa forest area continued to attract comment.

On 9 April 2012 Irwandi Yusuf lost the re-election campaign that would have allowed him to continue as governor of Aceh.

Irwandi Yusuf claimed voter fraud and voter intimidation was the cause of his loss.

Zaini Abdullah, the new governor of Aceh elected to replace Irwandi Yusuf, took office on 25 June 2012.

Irwandi Yusuf was accused of being a traitor to the Free Aceh Movement, the Acehnese militia, because of his negotiations and compromises with the Indonesian government.

Irwandi Yusuf stated that the PA's propaganda implying that he betrayed the Free Aceh Movement was the cause of the attack by party supporters.