15-year term sought for Soemarjono

15-year term sought for Soemarjono

SURABAYA: Prosecutor Donny Kadnezar asked the Surabaya
District Court on Tuesday sentence Col. (ret) Soemarjono, the
main defendant in a Rp 4.2 billion counterfeit case, to 15 years
in prison.

"Defendant Soemarjono, along with his close associates Hadi
Suwito and Slamet Hardjo, committed a flagrant violation of
Article 224 of the Criminal Code on counterfeit money," Donny
said told the court.

He said Soemarjono was responsible for the production and
distribution of bogus Rp 50,000 notes with former president
Soeharto's picture on them. The banknotes were produced at
Soemarjono's houses on Jl. Melati in the Pomdam Jaya housing
complex in Pesanggrahan, South Jakarta, and Jl. Bintaro Utama
Raya in Bintaro, Tangerang.

Soemarjono, the former chief of internal affairs at the Army
Strategic Reserves Command and a one-time manager of the
Indonesian Thomas Cup badminton team, appeared in court with his
lawyers Widjaja and Burhanuddin.

Judge Hirman Purnamakusuma adjourned the trial until next
Monday, at which time the court will hear a statement from the
defense. (nur/edt)