Akbar faces fresh, Rp 1b court case
Akbar faces fresh, Rp 1b court case
Tiarma Siboro, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Golkar chairman Akbar Tandjung is facing a fresh court case after
a self-confessed middleman filed a lawsuit against the speaker of
the House of Representatives (DPR) at the South Jakarta District
Court on Thursday.
Kito Irkhani, a former aide to Attorney General M.A. Rachman,
claimed that Akbar, one of Golkar's presidential aspirants, had
promised to pay him Rp 1 billion (US$114,000) in order to closely
monitor his corruption case, "convince" judges that Akbar was
innocent and facilitate meetings between the judges and Akbar.
According to Kito's lawyer, Suhardi Somomoeljono, the
agreement was reached on July 30, 2002.
"Although the Supreme Court has acquitted Akbar of corruption
charges, he (Akbar) has not fulfilled his promise to our client,"
Kito's lawyer Suhardi Somomoeljono said.
"We are asking the court to order Akbar to pay the promised Rp
1 billion and another Rp 5 billion in material damages," he said.
It was not immediately clear if meetings between Akbar and the
judges handling his case had ever taken place.
According to Suhardi, the verbal deal was reached some time in
2002 when the Golkar chairman was accused of misappropriating Rp
40 billion in State Logistics Agency (Bulog) money.
"Akbar asked my client to monitor the legal process
thoroughly, beginning with the first hearing in the Central
Jakarta District Court right up to the appeal," Suhardi told
reporters.
"He (Akbar) also asked my client to persuade the judges
handling the case that Akbar was clean," Suhardi said.
Based on the deal, Akbar handed over to Kito two checks each
worth Rp 325 million for "operational expenses," he said.
Akbar was declared guilty of corruption and sentenced to three
years in jail by the Central Jakarta District Court in 2002. The
verdict was upheld by the Jakarta High Court in 2003, but was
overturned by the Supreme Court in mid-February.
It remains to be seen, however, if this latest development
will be treated as new evidence, and so lead to a reopening of
Akbar's corruption case.
Neither Akbar nor his lawyers could not be reached for comment
on Thursday.