Akbar's supporters set to storm court
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.
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.