Court rejects request for Akbar's release<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tandjung will remain in
\ndetention until the verdict in his graft trial is delivered after
\nthe Central Jakarta District Court rejected on Monday demands for
\nhis release.<\/p>\n
Presiding Judge Amiruddin Zakaria announced the decision
\nduring the second hearing of the high profile scandal involving
\nState Logistics Agency (Bulog) and implicating Akbar and
\ncodefendants, Dadang Sukandar and Winfried Simatupang.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Akbar's lawyer Amir Syamsuddin filed an objection to
\nthe detention of his client and requested the court to release
\nhim because Akbar \"will not hamper the ongoing trial by disposing
\nof evidence and documents needed for investigation, or fleeing.\"<\/p>\n
A similar request was also voiced by the lawyer of Dadang and
\nWinfried, L.M.M. Samosir, with the same reasons given.<\/p>\n
Akbar, along with Dadang and Winfried, have been under
\ndetention for almost a month and their lawyers have persistently
\nasked the court to release them.<\/p>\n
According to Amir, Akbar deserved to be released because he
\nhad not been declared guilty.<\/p>\n
\"Pak Akbar remains a suspect and has not yet been declared
\nguilty by the court. The court should heed our request as we, his
\nlawyers, feel uncomfortable talking with our client while he is
\nbeing jailed,\" Amir told reporters after the hearing.<\/p>\n
The trial was moved to the Jakarta Fairground as the Central
\nJakarta District Court could not accommodate the huge number of
\nonlookers.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of people occupied the 3,000 square meter exhibition
\nhall, which had been set up as a courtroom. Among the attendees
\nwere several Golkar Party executives, legislators and Akbar's
\nwife Krisnina Maharani. Some 400 police personnel and bomb squad
\npersonnel guarded the compound.<\/p>\n
All visitors were searched before being allowed to enter the
\nmakeshift air-conditioned courtroom.<\/p>\n
The court has added two judges, Herri Swantoro and Pramodana
\nK. Kusumah Atmadja, to the initial panel of three.<\/p>\n
Looking healthy and wearing a brown suit, Akbar entered the
\ncourtroom to the applause of his supporters who already occupied
\nthe venue hours before the session opened at 10:30 a.m., or about
\nhalf an hour past schedule.<\/p>\n
Akbar, along with Dadang and Winfried, have been charged with
\nviolating the Anticorruption Law, which carries a maximum
\npunishment of 20 years in jail for their involvement in the
\nsuspected misuse of Rp 40 billion (US$4 million) in Bulog funds.<\/p>\n
Akbar, at that time minister\/state secretary, was assigned by
\npresident B.J. Habibie in 1999 to carry out a charity program.
\nThe aid never reached the intended recipients, however.<\/p>\n
In the middle of investigation both Dadang and Winfried
\nsuddenly gave back the money to prosecutors, saying that \"they
\nhad never used the money for the program and only put it under
\nWinfried's bed.\"<\/p>\n
Many believe that the money was used by the Golkar Party to
\nfund its campaign for the 1999 general election. Golkar named
\nHabibie as its presidential candidate.<\/p>\n
Amiruddin adjourned the trial until April, 8, to decide
\nwhether the court would continue after hearing the response of
\nstate prosecutors to the lawyers' rebuttal.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/court-rejects-request-for-akbars-release-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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