Prosecutors want trial of ex-BI chief to continue

Andreas D. Arditya , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Thu, 07/03/2008 10:38 AM | Headlines

Prosecutors are leaving the court to decide whether to accept the objections from former Bank Indonesia governor Burhanuddin Abdullah in his graft trial over the misappropriation of Rp 100 billion (US$10.8 million) from the central bank.

In his defense read out last week at the Corruption Court, Burhanuddin said the disbursement of the money was a "collective decision" by the BI's board of directors and that it was a legitimate policy, not a crime.

In June 2003, Burhanuddin and several other board members, including Aulia Pohan, Bun Bunan Hutapea and Aslim Tadjuddin, disbursed Rp 100 billion from BI's Indonesian Banking Development Foundation (YPPI) fund.

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors told the court Wednesday that whether Burhanuddin's objections to his indictment were acceptable should be determined through further hearings.

They urged the court to continue the trial.

Prosecutors say Rp 68.5 billion of the embezzled money was given to five former senior BI officials who had been implicated in BI liquidity assistance (BLBI) corruption cases.

The money was distributed by BI legal affairs deputy Oey Hoey Tiong as financial assistance to cover legal expenses for the five BLBI suspects -- Paul Sutopo, Hendro Budiyanto, Heru Soepraptomo, Iwan Prawiranata and Soedrajat Djiwandono.

The KPK said the remaining Rp 31.5 billion was given in installments by then head of the BI communications bureau Rusli Simanjuntak to Anthony Zeidra Abidin and Hamka Yandhu, both members of the House of Representatives' Commission IX for financial affairs.

The money was allegedly distributed to other members of Commission IX to support its work to resolve the BLBI cases and the amendment of the law on the central bank.

In a 2006 report, the Supreme Audit Agency reported that more than 10 current and former lawmakers received the money.

Oey and Rusli, as well as Anthony and Hamka, are being detained as suspects in the BI scandal. The Corruption Court is to begin the trial of Oey and Rusli on Thursday.

Despite mounting pressure on the graft body to arrest all suspects in the case, the KPK has yet to detain former BI deputy governors Bun Bunan Hutapea, Aslim Tadjuddin or Aulia Pohan, who is the father-in-law of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's son

KPK deputy chairman for prevention Haryono Umar said his office is working on expanding the investigation into the case.

"Just let us do our work," he said Wednesday.

The graft body has, however, imposed travel bans on 16 active and former BI officials implicated in the case, including Aulia.

In their indictment, the KPK charged Burhanuddin with violating Article 2 of the 1999 law against corruption, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment and Rp 1 billion in fines.

Presiding judge Teguh Heriyanto is scheduled to rule next Wednesday on whether the trial will proceed.

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