Bob Hasan pleads not guilty<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Timber tycoon Muhamad 'Bob' Hasan, who is facing
\na possible eight-year jail term if convicted of corruption
\ncharges, pleaded not guilty on Thursday.<\/p>\n
The defendant told the Central Jakarta District Court in his
\ndefense statement that he knew nothing about the US$87 million
\ncollected from the Indonesian Forest Concessionaires Association
\n(APHI) members, which prosecutors claim was obtained fraudulently
\nthrough an aerial mapping project.<\/p>\n
Hasan, a former APHI chairman and close friend of former
\npresident Soeharto, said that he did not know about the funds
\nbecause he had handed over the matter to the APHI board of
\nexecutives.<\/p>\n
The mapping project was carried out by the defendant's company
\nPT Mapindo Parama between 1989 and 1999.<\/p>\n
Hasan claimed that he had never received any dividend from
\nMapindo in connection with the mapping project.<\/p>\n
\"I was only present at one PT Mapindo Parama shareholders'
\nmeeting,\" Hasan said as he read the first 10 pages of the 200-
\npage defense statement prepared by his lawyers.<\/p>\n
Lawyer Agustinus Hutajulu was to read the rest of the
\nstatement, but after he read about 50 pages, presiding judge
\nSoebardi suddenly halted the session. He said he was feeling sick
\nand adjourned the session for one day.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors earlier asked the court to order that the
\ndefendant pay almost US$244 million to compensate for state
\nlosses and impose an additional fine of Rp 30 million ($3,300).
\n(01)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bob-hasan-pleads-not-guilty-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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