Prosecutors warned in bizarre case turn<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice Muladi warned Ujungpandang
\nprosecutors on Monday of stirring the public's anger by demanding
\nthe release of Golkar legislator Nurdin Halid, who is on trial
\nfor corruption.<\/p>\n
Although it is the presiding judge who will hand down a
\nverdict in the case, Muladi said the prosecutors would be held
\naccountable by the people.<\/p>\n
\"Every party must be careful here because this is a celebrity
\ncase,\" he said at the House of Representatives when asked to
\ncomment on the trial's latest development.<\/p>\n
In a bizarre twist in the case, a team of prosecutors led by
\nMustafa Chani demanded the Ujungpandang District Court release
\nNurdin, citing their failure to provide adequate evidence to
\nprove the charges leveled against him.<\/p>\n
Nurdin is accused of embezzling Rp 115.77 billion (US$12
\nmillion) from farmers' compulsory accounts at a local cooperative
\ncenter. Nurdin is a former director of the cooperative center,
\nwhich acted as the sole buyer of cloves from village cooperatives
\nin the province.<\/p>\n
Mustafa fainted after demanding Nurdin be released while
\nNurdin shouted Allah Akbar (Allah is Great) and Alhamdulillah
\n(Thank God) and his supporters in the courtroom celebrated,
\nKompas daily reported on Monday. Mustafa was admitted to the
\nhospital.<\/p>\n
Muladi said on Monday prosecutors could demand an acquittal if
\nthey were convinced the defendant was not guilty.<\/p>\n
\"It's not a must to have a defendant sent to jail,\" he said.<\/p>\n
It was reported from Ujungpandang on Monday that Mustafa left
\nthe hospital where he was being treated.<\/p>\n
Mustafa was discharged from the hospital, but when contacted
\nat his home, Mustafa's daughter told The Jakarta Post she did not
\nknow where her father was.<\/p>\n
The hospital also is unaware of Mustafa's whereabouts. Local
\npolice said Mustafa's family had not reported him as missing.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the dean of Hasanuddin University's School of Law,
\nAchmad Ali, said on Monday that lecturers of law from five
\nuniversities in Ujungpandang would establish an independent team
\non Tuesday to probe why Mustafa demanded Nurdin be released.
\n(30\/aan)<\/p>",
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