Probo to sue government for 'baseless' charge<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Businessman Probosutedjo, a half brother of
\nformer president Soeharto, is threatening to sue the Ministry of
\nForestry and Plantations for defamation.<\/p>\n
M. Thamrin of Thamrin-Djoko Anggono & Partner said that his
\nclient, more popularly called Probo, was preparing documents for
\nthe suit.<\/p>\n
He said the ministry's accusation that his client was involved
\nin reforestation fraud was groundless.<\/p>\n
\"Probo has never been summoned nor named a suspect in any case
\nby a court of law or the Attorney General's Office... The
\nministry's report is groundless and misleading,\" he was quoted by
\nAntara as saying.<\/p>\n
Djoko Anggono said the ministry accused Probo of misusing some
\nRp 144.4 billion (US$20 million) in reforestation funds through
\nhis industrial forest estate PT Menara Hutan Buana in South
\nKalimantan.<\/p>\n
He said his law firm was informed by the office of the
\ndirector for corruption cases at the Attorney General's Office
\nlast month that Probosutedjo, however, was not on the list of
\nsuspects in corruption cases currently investigated by the
\noffice.<\/p>\n
He said the ministry's accusation affected Probo's reputation
\nand disrupted his business activities.<\/p>\n
\"We will sue the ministry for its untrue accusation. It may
\ntake some time to prepare all the necessary documents, but we
\nwill certainly do it.\" Djoko did not give a time frame for the
\nlawsuit.<\/p>\n
The Ministry of Forestry and Plantations announced in late
\nJanuary that it had submitted to the Attorney General's Office a
\nfull report on alleged corruption and misuse of reforestation
\nfunds totaling some Rp 784 billion involving major forest
\nconcession holders such as Probo, Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti
\n\"Tutut\" Hardijanti Rukmana, Soeharto's close friends Mohamad
\n\"Bob\" Hasan and Prajogo Pangestu and Ibrahim Risjad.<\/p>\n
The ministry said a team of seven prosecutors from the
\nAttorney General's Office was established to further investigate
\nthe report's findings on their involvement in the corruption
\ncases.<\/p>\n
The report alleged that Probo received preferential treatment
\nby then president Soeharto and the state secretary in obtaining
\nreforestation funds. Probosutedjo allegedly manipulated the use
\nof some Rp 144.40 billion of reforestation funds he received
\nthrough PT Menara Hutan Buana, which controls about 268,885
\nhectares of area in South Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
The report also said Tutut and Prajogo, who controlled some
\nstakes at industrial forest estate developer PT Musi Hutan
\nPersada in South Sumatra, had allegedly manipulated documents
\nregarding the size of the company's 193,500 hectares in order to
\nobtain more reforestation funds. Prajogo and Tutut allegedly
\nmisused about Rp 346.87 billion of reforestation funds.<\/p>\n
The report also alleged that Bob Hasan, had allegedly misused
\nRp 207.81 billion in reforestation funds he received for his
\nindustrial forest estate PT Surya Hutani Jaya.<\/p>\n
Ibrahim Risjad allegedly diverted reforestation funds of Rp
\n85.36 billion provided by the government for his industrial
\nforest developer PT Aceh Nusa Indrapuri for uses including to
\npurchase space at the Menara Batavia building, the report said.<\/p>\n
Businesspeople were allowed to borrow reforestation funds to
\ndevelop industrial forests, but many of them diverted the funds
\nfor other business purposes.(cst)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/probo-to-sue-government-for-baseless-charge-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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