Akbar's supporters set to storm court
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Hundreds of supporters of corruption accused Akbar Tandjung are set to storm the Central Jakarta District Court at the Meteorology and Geophysics building in Kemayoran as the court delivers its verdict on Wednesday.
The diehard supporters arrived at the Golkar Headquarters in Slipi, West Jakarta on Tuesday, while others checked in to lodgings throughout the city.
Their presence is likely to pressure the court's judges to acquit Akbar, chairman of the second biggest faction in the House of Representatives (DPR). The faction played a pivotal role in catapulting Megawati Soekarnoputri to the presidential post in July 2001.
The verdict will, therefore, be as crucial for Indonesia's tarnished judiciary as for the country's political stability.
Prosecutors have demanded a four-year jail sentence for Akbar, far below the 20 years stipulated by existing laws for those convicted of stealing money belonging to the Indonesian people -- in this case, Indonesia's most needy citizens.
A panel of five judges is led by Amiruddin Zakaria who recently sentenced Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, a son of former president Soeharto, to 15 years in jail for murder.
Akbar bragged Tuesday that supporters from 10 provinces would attend his corruption trial but denied suggestions that the mobilization was aimed at "pressuring" judges to issue a favorable verdict.
"I can assure you that Golkar members present at the trial will not resort to violence, unless they are outsiders. We have asked them to avoid rioting," he said Tuesday.
Akbar, the speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR), is standing trial on charges that he had misappropriated Rp 40 billion (US$4.5 million) funds of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) in 1999. The money was earmarked to feed the poor.
Last year, Akbar claimed that the hand over of the money never took place in his own office and the funds were directly channeled to the Raudlatul Jannah foundation. But later, he admitted he did receive the money at his office and gave it to little-known Raudlatul Jannah Foundation Dadang Sukandar.
If the court finds Akbar guilty, he will still be able to appeal to the High Court, and if that fails, he can appeal to the Supreme Court.
The High Court recently acquitted the current Bank Indonesia chief of all corruption charges, overturning a District Court decision that found him guilty of corruption.
Golkar leaders, including those from provincial chapters, are consolidating their power, holding a series of meetings in Jakarta on Monday and Tuesday.
Party deputy secretary Bomer Pasaribu said on Tuesday that Golkar leaders agreed to retain Akbar as the party's chairman regardless of the court verdict.
Akbar also insisted that even if convicted he would not step down until the Supreme Court delivered its final verdict.
Along with People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Amien Rais, Akbar has been touted as a possible presidential candidate in 2004.