Arifin tried for Rp 1.8t corruption<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Oil tycoon Arifin Panigoro was indicted at the
\nSouth Jakarta District Court on Monday for his alleged
\ninvolvement in a corruption scandal worth Rp 1.8 trillion (US$240
\nmillion) in issuance of promissory notes.<\/p>\n
Attired in a yellow batik shirt and light brown trousers, the
\n54-year-old Arifin, who is a loyalist of the Indonesian
\nDemocratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), calmly entered the
\ncourtroom at about 10 a.m., which was presided over by Judge
\nSoedarto.<\/p>\n
Members of PDI Perjuangan's security force in their black
\nuniforms and party supporters wearing red T-shirts packed the
\ncourtroom to show support for Arifin.<\/p>\n
Arifin is president commissioner of oil company PT Medco
\nCentral Asia, a subsidiary of Medco Group.<\/p>\n
According to prosecutor Harun M. Husein, Arifin committed the
\ncrime between Jan. 27, 1997, and April 30, last year.<\/p>\n
\"The defendant has enriched himself or other parties directly
\nor indirectly, causing or allegedly causing the Rp 1.8 trillion
\nstate losses,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the defendant, who is currently under city arrest, was
\ncharged under Article 1 (1.a) of Corruption Law No. 3\/1971 which
\ncarries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment and a Rp 30
\nmillion fine.<\/p>\n
Harun said the losses consisted of US$201.4 million, Japanese
\nyen 387.8 million and Rp 89 billion, all in the form of
\npromissory notes issued by Medco.<\/p>\n
He said Medco claimed the funds raised from the notes, which
\nwere bought by Jasindo, would be used as working capital and
\ninvestments, including in oil projects in Kazakhstan and
\nTurkmenistan.<\/p>\n
\"Medco promised to return the amount of the notes to Jasindo
\non time, but when the notes matured last year, Medco had still
\nnote paid the notes,\" he said.<\/p>\n
In a response statement on Monday, one of Arifin's lawyers,
\nMohamad Assegaf, reiterated the claim that the case was not a
\npurely legal case but full of political nuances.<\/p>\n
He also accused the prosecutor of hiding facts, saying Medco
\nhas paid 50 percent of the debt to Jasindo.<\/p>\n
\"(The government) wants me jailed,\" added Arifin, who is known
\nfor supporting the reform movement before the forced resignation
\nof president Soeharto last year.<\/p>\n
Judge Soedarto adjourned the trial until next week to hear a
\nresponse statement from the prosecutor.(jun)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/arifin-tried-for-rp-18t-corruption-1447893297",
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