Maintaining innocence: Former Religious Minister Suryadharma Ali maintains his innocence in the graft case filed against him by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)
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The Jakarta Corruption Court's panel of judges rejected a request for an exception to a graft charge against former Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali in a trial at the court in Jakarta on Monday.
'[We] preside and declare that, first, an exception request or objection filed by defendant Suryadharma Ali and his lawyer cannot be accepted. Second, we declare that the Corruption Eradication Commission [KPK] prosecutors' charge document against the defendant is valid and has fulfilled the requirements [stipulated in the Criminal Code]. Third, we order prosecutors to continue investigating the core of the case,' said presiding judge Aswijon as quoted by Antara when he read out the panel's interim decision in a trial at Tipikor in Jakarta on Monday. The KPK charged the minister in a graft case surrounding the 2010-2014 haj program.
On Sept. 7, Suryadharma filed an exception request saying that he did not commit any legal violation, which could cause financial losses to the state, nor did he use the state's money for personal gain.
However, Aswijon said, the panel of judges had a different opinion on the matter.
'The panel of judges [...] has concluded that the prosecutors' charge document on this case has been composed thoroughly and completely. It has fulfilled all material and formal requirements,' said Aswijon.
'With such legal considerations, the judge panel is of an opinion that the exception request filed by the defendant and his lawyer against the prosecutors' charge document has no legal basis to be fulfilled; this must be declared as 'rejected',' he said.
Since the objection could not be accepted, the judge said the investigation of the graft case could be continued.
Suryadharma said in his request that the Rp 53.9 billion (US$3.72 million) in state losses that the KPK had charged him with was a false claim.
'I'm shocked and feel humiliated. Johan Budi [KPK commissioner] said the financial losses triggered by the case amounted to more than Rp 1 trillion. Others even said it amounted to Rp 1.8 trillion. It's obvious that the figures are not true because they are not in line with figures stipulated in the KPK prosecutors' charge against me," said Suryadharma in his objection.
'The KPK froze my bank accounts and other accounts belonging to my wife, children and children-in-law to find corruption-related money flows but it could not find them, even for a single rupiah. The KPK then opened our bank accounts again,' he added.
The judge panel claimed the prosecutors cited the figures based on a calculation of state financial losses in the haj graft case, which was conducted by the Development Finance Comptroller (BKPK). (ebf)
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