Eight-year jail term sought for Bob Hasan<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): State prosecutors asked the Central Jakarta
\nDistrict Court on Thursday to sentence timber tycoon Muhamad
\n'Bob' Hasan, a long-time crony of former president Soeharto, to
\neight years in jail for corruption.<\/p>\n
Chief prosecutor Arnold Angkouw, presenting the 418-page
\nstatement, said that the defendant's fraudulent aerial mapping
\nproject, from 1989 to 1999, had caused losses of US$244 million
\nto the state.<\/p>\n
The prosecutor asked the court to order the defendant to
\nreturn the ill-gotten money and also requested the court fine the
\ndefendant Rp 30 million and seize his three cars, three houses
\nand land in Cawang, East Jakarta for the state.<\/p>\n
The 70-year-old defendant, charged with crimes that carry a
\nmaximum life sentence, appeared calm during the hearing, which
\nstarted at 9 a.m. and ended at 6:15 p.m.<\/p>\n
\"Based on the testimony of 41 witnesses during the hearing and
\nour factual analyses, it has been proven that the defendant
\nviolated the contract. The procedures and the results of the
\nmapping project were not in accordance with the requirements
\nstipulated in the 1989 contract,\" Angkouw said.<\/p>\n
Bob Hasan, a golfing buddy of Soeharto, was minister of trade
\nand industry in 1997. He is the first of Soeharto's cronies to
\nstand trial for corruption.<\/p>\n
The prosecutor said that the defendant, who chaired the
\nIndonesian Forest Concessionaires Association (APHI), had
\nmisappropriated $168 million obtained from the association's
\nmembers, and another $75 million of the Ministry of Forestry's
\nforestation funds.<\/p>\n
The prosecutor said that the association charged each member
\nUS$2 for every cubic meter of exported timber, and $1 for every
\ncubic meter of exported wood product, as the aerial mapping fee.<\/p>\n
The prosecutor said the defendant assigned PT Mapindo Parama,
\na company owned by himself, to conduct the aerial mapping of 599
\nforest concessions. However, the company only completed mapping
\n81 concessions over a period of eight years, while the Ministry
\nof Forestry had stipulated that the mapping should be completed
\nwithin three years.<\/p>\n
When journalists asked Bob to comment on the sentence demand,
\nthe defendant just smiled and pointed at his lawyers. \"I don't
\nknow much about law,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the defendant asked the district court to set aside
\nall political considerations and focus on the legal aspects of
\nhis case. He said that the entire prosecution was motivated at
\nsentencing him to a jail term.<\/p>\n
Presiding judge Soebardi adjourned the session until next
\nThursday to hear the defense statement.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile state prosecutors are investigating another
\ncorruption case involving Bob Hasan.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors believe Bob and Asmaning Tjipto Wignjoprajitno,
\nchairman of the Association of Indonesian Wood Panel Producers
\n(Apkindo), mishandled some US$84 million provided for export
\npromotion that came from monthly dues of Apkindo's members.<\/p>\n
Bob was the organization's chief patron in 1997 when the
\nmisappropriation is said to have occurred.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, prosecutors failed to seize a 70-hectare plot of
\nland in Cibinong area, West Java, believed to have been purchased
\nby Bob Hasan using misappropriated Apkindo funds.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Suwandi said that Cibinong District Court had not
\napproved the seizure because the description of the land was
\nincomplete.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the Attorney General's Office, Muljohardjo, said
\nthat the land belongs to PT Inagro, a company owned by Bob Hasan
\nand Apkindo's chairman Asmaning Tjipto Wignjoprajitno.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors claim that PT Inagro was established using Apkindo
\nfunds.<\/p>\n
Earlier, prosecutors seized fixed deposits and accounts worth
\nmore than $52 million and Rp 3 billion (some $315,800), 20 sedans
\nand minivans, which reportedly had been purchased using Apkindo's
\nmoney but were used by the two suspects for their personal
\ntransportation needs. (01\/bby)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/eight-year-jail-term-sought-for-bob-hasan-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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