Court to continue with BI graft case

Wed, 09/17/2008 10:27 AM | National

The Corruption Court will continue trying a graft case involving legislators Anthony Zeidra Abidin and Hamka Yandhu, currently stand trial for allegedly accepting embezzled money from Bank Indonesia.

"We decided to refuse the argument presented by defendant Anthony Zeidra Abidin, and to continue trying the case," presiding judge Masrurdin Chaniago said here Tuesday.

At last week's hearing, Anthony used his right to object to prosecutors' charges that could see him and Hamka receive 20-year prison sentences under the 1999 anticorruption law.

In his argument, Anthony asked the panel of judges to drop the charges, or at least announce that the charges were not legally acceptable and thus free him from further examination -- despite already admitting he received money from senior BI officials Rusli Simanjuntak and Asnar Ashari.

Anthony admitted to receiving Rp 24 billion (US$2.54 million) from Rusli and Asnar, and not Rp 31.5 billion as charged by prosecutors.

"His statement has hit the heart of the case, which needs to be proven in court. That is why we reject the argument," said judge Masrurdin.

The judge also rejected Anthony's request to nullify the charges, saying the indictment had met formal and material requirements as stipulated in article 143 (2a) of the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP).

In 2003, BI's board of governors agreed to give Rp 31.5 billion of the Rp 100 billion it borrowed from its foundation, the Indonesian Banking Development Foundation (YPPI), to the House of Representatives' then Commission IX. The commission was overseeing financial affairs, and the payment was made to settle several BI liquidity support (BLBI) cases and to expedite the amendment of the BI law.

Rusli and Asnar gave the money to Anthony and Hamka in several installments.

The first payment of Rp 15 billion was made in three installments, prosecutors said. The first was on June 27, 2003, when Rusli, accompanied by Asnar, gave Hamka and Anthony Rp 2 billion during a meeting in a hotel in Central Jakarta. The second payment was made on July 2, 2003, when the two legislators received Rp 5.5 billion at Anthony's house, and the third in August 2003, when Rusli gave Rp 7.5 billion, also at Anthony's house.

Rusli, who was suspended as the head of BI's Surabaya office, and former BI legal bureau head Oey Hoey Tiong are also standing trial in the case.

In earlier testimony, Hamka admitted that 52 members of then Commission IX shared the money with then commission deputy head Paskah Suzetta, who is now state minister for national development planning and chairman of the National Development Planning Board. Paskah allegedly received Rp 1 billion, while other commission members, including Malam Sambat Kaban, now forestry minister, allegedly received at least Rp 250 million each. -- JP/Irawaty Wardany

Comments (0) | Post comment

A | A | A |