Akbar faces fresh, Rp 1b court case<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung is facing a fresh court case after
\na self-confessed middleman filed a lawsuit against the speaker of
\nthe House of Representatives (DPR) at the South Jakarta District
\nCourt on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Kito Irkhani, a former aide to Attorney General M.A. Rachman,
\nclaimed that Akbar, one of Golkar's presidential aspirants, had
\npromised to pay him Rp 1 billion (US$114,000) in order to closely
\nmonitor his corruption case, \"convince\" judges that Akbar was
\ninnocent and facilitate meetings between the judges and Akbar.<\/p>\n
According to Kito's lawyer, Suhardi Somomoeljono, the
\nagreement was reached on July 30, 2002.<\/p>\n
\"Although the Supreme Court has acquitted Akbar of corruption
\ncharges, he (Akbar) has not fulfilled his promise to our client,\"
\nKito's lawyer Suhardi Somomoeljono said.<\/p>\n
\"We are asking the court to order Akbar to pay the promised Rp
\n1 billion and another Rp 5 billion in material damages,\" he said.<\/p>\n
It was not immediately clear if meetings between Akbar and the
\njudges handling his case had ever taken place.<\/p>\n
According to Suhardi, the verbal deal was reached some time in
\n2002 when the Golkar chairman was accused of misappropriating Rp
\n40 billion in State Logistics Agency (Bulog) money.<\/p>\n
\"Akbar asked my client to monitor the legal process
\nthoroughly, beginning with the first hearing in the Central
\nJakarta District Court right up to the appeal,\" Suhardi told
\nreporters.<\/p>\n
\"He (Akbar) also asked my client to persuade the judges
\nhandling the case that Akbar was clean,\" Suhardi said.<\/p>\n
Based on the deal, Akbar handed over to Kito two checks each
\nworth Rp 325 million for \"operational expenses,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Akbar was declared guilty of corruption and sentenced to three
\nyears in jail by the Central Jakarta District Court in 2002. The
\nverdict was upheld by the Jakarta High Court in 2003, but was
\noverturned by the Supreme Court in mid-February.<\/p>\n
It remains to be seen, however, if this latest development
\nwill be treated as new evidence, and so lead to a reopening of
\nAkbar's corruption case.<\/p>\n
Neither Akbar nor his lawyers could not be reached for comment
\non Thursday.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/akbar-faces-fresh-rp-1b-court-case-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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