Akbar keeping wolves at bay

Akbar keeping wolves at bay

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The five-judge Supreme Court bench examining Golkar chairman
Akbar Tandjung's appeal failed to hand down a decision on
Thursday, arguing that they needed more time to discuss the legal
issues involved.

The five, led by Justice Paulus Effendy Lotulung, discussed
Akbar's appeal for two-and-a-half hours but failed to reach a
consensus. They agreed to reconvene next Wednesday (Feb. 4).

"In cases involving complex legal issues, it is quite normal
to hold several meetings as there are many legal issues to be
considered," Paulus said.

Dozens of protesters threw rotten tomatoes at the Supreme
Court building in Central Jakarta after they learned that the
justices had failed to arrive at a decision.

While the five justices were discussing his appeal, Akbar was
meeting Golkar leaders at his office in the House. The party big-
wigs summoned included secretary-general Budi Harsono, co-
chairmen Slamet Effendi Yusuf, Agung Laksono, Mahadi Sinambela,
Rambe Kamarulzaman and Bomer Pasaribu, and influential party
members such as Hajriyanto Y. Thohari, Rusdi Zen, Antony Abidin,
Soeharsojo and Baharuddin Aritonang.

Akbar, who is also the speaker of the House of
Representatives, appealed to the Supreme Court against his three-
year jail sentence for graft. A decision by the Supreme Court to
uphold Akbar's conviction would put an end to his presidential
ambitions.

Promising to incorporate any dissenting opinions in the
Supreme Court's final decision, Paulus said that the five
justices would have to decide the case by a vote if they failed
to reach an agreement. The new Supreme Court Law requires any
dissenting opinions to be attached to majority decisions of the
court.

"Our legal opinions will be issued after we announce our
decision," Paulus said.

Separately, Justice Abdul Rahman Saleh, a member of the
judicial panel hearing the Akbar appeal, said that the discussion
during the meeting "was difficult", referring to the existence of
different opinions among the justices. He declined, however, to
provide details.

However, Chief Justice Bagir Manan was upset when reporters
asked him about the one-week delay.

"Please allow us to examine the case independently. Don't push
us. Now, you're making me angry," he said to the dozens of
reporters surrounding him.

Hendardi, the chairman of the Indonesian Legal Aid and Human
Rights Institute (PBHI), said on Thursday that the public had
every right to believe that backroom deals and political
chicanery were behind the delay.

"I do not believe they will be able to resist political
string-pulling ahead of the general election," said Hendardi,
adding that the Supreme Court had come under intense pressure in
Akbar's case.

Hendardi said the largest party in the current House, the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) would
like to see Akbar acquitted.

"Golkar is the biggest party and the PDI Perjuangan would most
likely be interested in going into coalition with it. If the
Supreme Court upholds Akbar's conviction, the PDI Perjuangan will
not be able to predict its future course. This, of course, is not
in their interests," he explained.

Akbar was originally sentenced to four years in jail by the
Central Jakarta District Court, which was reduced to three years
on appeal by the Jakarta High Court, for misusing Rp 40 billion
(US$4.8 million) in State Logistics Agency (Bulog) funds.