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key witness in the graft trial of former chairman of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq testified on Monday that Coordinating Economic Minister Hatta Rajasa could have played a significant role in the scandal.

Director of meat importing firm PT Indoguna Utama Maria Elizabeth Liman said that Hatta could have decided to increase the overall quota for the government-sanctioned meat importing program ' a plan that was rejected by the Agriculture Ministry.

She said that a broker Elda Devianne Adiningrat, told her about the crucial information and that she claimed to have known Hatta.

'Elda told me that she knew Hatta Rajasa personally. She called him si uban [white-haired man]. She also said she knew a lot of officials at the Agriculture Ministry. She tried to convince me that she was well-connected,' she said.

Elizabeth, who peppered her sentences with English words, answered nervously when one of anti-corruption judges Gus Rizal demanded she reveal the identity of the white-haired man. After two minutes of silence, Elizabeth said that the person of interest was Hatta, who was also one of the President's lawmakers.

A recorded conversation between Elizabeth and Elda, which was played by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors in the Monday hearing, showed that Elizabeth's proposal had already been in the hands of Hatta.

The conversation also highlighted a conflict between Hatta and the ministry.

'You know what, Syukur Iwantoro [the Agriculture Ministry's director general for animal husbandry] told me that si uban did not allow an increase in the overall beef import quota, when I know for a fact that si uban had approved of it. That is insane, isn't that?' Elda said in the recorded conversation.

Another witness, Thomas Sembiring, chairman of the Indonesian Beef Importers Association (Aspidi) said that he wrote a letter to Hatta to request a quota increase on behalf of PT Indoguna director Juard Effendi.

'I sent the letter in December last year to explain to Pak Hatta, that we need to import more beef to meet the national demand,' he said.

Contacted separately, Hatta denied the allegation. He said that he had never provided Elda with information about an increased quota.

'It is not true, there is no such thing. I don't have the authority to increase quota because it is in the hands of the agriculture minister,' he told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Hatta's denial however contradicted statements from Syukur and Suharyono, head of the Agriculture Ministry's Plant Protection.

Syukur said the agriculture minister could not make any decision on the import quota himself.

'Any decision related to beef import quota has to be made through a limited coordination meeting between the Agriculture Ministry, the Trade Ministry and the Coordinating Economic Ministry,' he said.

Luthfi's lawyer, Mohamad Assegaf, said all testimonies from the key witnesses had vindicated his client. (koi)