Insisting on his innocence: Richard Joost Lino (pictured), then state-owned port operator PT Pelindo IIâs president director, talks to journalists after he attends a hearing on the Pelindo graft case at the House of Representatives in Jakarta on Dec
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State-owned port operator PT Pelindo II's former president director Richard Joost Lino insisted on his innocence in a graft case during a pretrial hearing at the South Jakarta District Court on Monday against the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) decision to name him a suspect.
"The body's naming him a suspect is illegal because there was no preliminary evidence," Lino's lawyer, Maqdir Ismail, said during the hearing.
In the defense statement Lino read out he called into question the KPK's decision to name him a graft suspect since the body had not yet calculated the losses the state incurred from the case. Lino added that his being named a suspect was also illegitimate because the KPK had not questioned him beforehand.
'He [Lino] was named a suspect without any state loss calculation,' said Maqdir during the hearing, which was led by Udjiati.
"The KPK spokesman even admitted during a press conference held after it named him a suspect that the body was still calculating the exact amount of the state losses,' the lawyer further said, adding that that was a primary element in Lino's case.
The KPK is scheduled to read out its response to Lino's accusations on Tuesday.
"We'll see how it goes tomorrow," KPK legal bureau chief Setiadi told reporters after the hearing on Monday.
The KPK named Lino a graft suspect on Dec. 18, 2015, in an alleged corruption case related to the direct procurement of three quay container cranes (QCCs) in 2010.
Lino is accused of misusing his authority to enrich himself by conducting the direct procurement of three QCC units from a Chinese company, Wuxi Huadong Heavy Machinery Co. Ltd. (HDHM).
The KPK charged Lino under Article 2 and/or Article 3 of Law No. 31/1999 on corruption eradication and Article 55 of the Criminal Code. The antigraft body also imposed a travel ban on Lino starting Dec. 30, which is effective for six months. (ebf)(+)
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