Antasari to attend final hearing in case review request

Murder convict and former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Antasari Azhar is scheduled on Wednesday to attend his final hearing in a case review request at South Jakarta District Court, with judges set to decide whether the review should proceed.

"The resume of the previous case review request trial will be read out in front of the judges, which will be followed by the signing of the court report," Antasari's attorney, Maqdir Ismail, said Wednesday.

Maqdir added that he was optimistic that the testimony of witnesses who had been summoned to earlier hearings would bear good results.

"[We] are optimistic for the best. Antasari should be set free because he was not the criminal [in this case]," he said as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Antasari was earlier convicted to 19 years' imprisonment for allegedly masterminding the murder of a businessman. However, since that time he has gathered new evidence, including testimonies from forensics experts, which he hopes will exonerate him.

If judges at the South Jakarta District Court grant Antasari's case review request, the case review process can proceed to the Supreme Court.