Long-awaited Akbar verdict due next week: Justice<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The ongoing speculation over the much-awaited verdict of the
\nappeal sought by House Speaker Akbar Tandjung may end soon as the
\nSupreme Court has arranged a time to hear the case next week.<\/p>\n
\"God willing it will (be issued next week). The head of the
\npanel (of judges) will set the schedule on Monday for us to
\ndiscuss,\" Justice Abdurrahman Saleh, one of the five judges on
\nthe panel hearing Akbar's case, said on Friday.<\/p>\n
He said he had finished examining the case, the last among the
\nfive judges to do so.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman replaced Laica Marzuki, who was appointed deputy
\nchief of the Constitutional Court in October last year.<\/p>\n
The four other justices hearing Akbar's appeal are Parman
\nSuparman, Arbijoto, Muchsin and Paulus Effendy Lotulung, who
\nleads the panel.<\/p>\n
The meeting of the five judges is the last phase of the
\nhearing process of an appeal. Due to its importance, the Supreme
\nCourt appointed five judges, two more than in normal cases.<\/p>\n
All panel members are usually given time to examine a case and
\nsubmit their written opinions to the head of the panel.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman said that the panel hearing Akbar's appeal would
\nmeet to discuss the legal opinion of each member.<\/p>\n
\"A judge who previously said something is red may change his
\nopinion during the discussion. It depends on the legal arguments
\nof each of us,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The panel usually takes a unanimous decision, but in the case
\nof a deadlock, there will be a vote.<\/p>\n
Abdurrahman dismissed widespread speculation that three of the
\nfive judges had ruled in favor of Akbar.<\/p>\n
\"It's just a rumor. How do you know that? We haven't even
\ndiscussed it,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The political career of Akbar is at stake following his
\nconviction in a Rp 40 billion graft case involving State
\nLogistics Agency funds allocated for a welfare program when he
\nwas the minister\/state secretary under president B.J. Habibie.<\/p>\n
Speculation had been rife that the money went to Golkar, which
\nAkbar leads, to help Habibie win his presidential bid in 1999.<\/p>\n
Akbar is contesting the Golkar convention scheduled for mid-
\nApril to select the party's sole candidate in the July
\npresidential election.<\/p>\n
If the Supreme Court rules in favor of Akbar, he will emerge
\nthe strongest contender in the Golkar convention. Otherwise, his
\npolitical career will be over.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Court's verdict is final, meaning that it must be
\nexecuted regardless of further legal challenges like a review or
\nrequest for clemency.<\/p>\n
Chief Justice Bagir Manan had earlier said the verdict on
\nAkbar would be delivered in August or September last year.
\nHowever, it was postponed following the appointment of Laica to
\nthe Constitutional Court in October.<\/p>\n
Akbar, who remains free pending appeal, was sentenced to three
\nyears in prison by the Central Jakarta District Court. The
\nJakarta High Court later upheld the lower court's ruling,
\nasserting there was no new convincing evidence that Akbar was not
\nguilty.<\/p>\n
The high court also dismissed the appeal of two of Akbar's
\nalleged accomplices in the same case. In a related graft case,
\nthe high court recently sentenced former Bulog chairman Rahardi
\nRamelan to four years imprisonment.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/long-awaited-akbar-verdict-due-next-week-justice-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}