Bob Hasan's graft trial begins on Sept. 20

JAKARTA (JP): The multimillion dollar graft trial against timber tycoon and former president Soeharto's golfing buddy, Muhamad "Bob" Hasan, will begin on Wednesday next week at the Central Jakarta District Court, an official said on Monday.

"The panel of judges will comprise judges Poerwanto and Ali Akmal Haqy as members and myself as the presiding judge. The over 5000-page dossier of the defendant and a 52-page indictment were handed over by prosecutors on Friday evening," head of the Central Jakarta District Court, Subardi, told The Jakarta Post.

"Hasan officially became a defendant when he was put under the court's custody on Friday."

The graft has allegedly caused US$75.62 million in state losses and $168 million in losses to the Indonesian Forest Concessionaires Association.

The defendant's dossier stated that the primary charge against the defendant was the violation of Paragraph 1a of Article 1 of the 1971 Anti-corruption Law, for enriching himself at the state's expense.

The article carries a maximum punishment of life imprisonment, with or without a Rp 30 million fine.

Coincidentally, the primary charges against Hasan and Soeharto are the same.

Subardi added that as it would be for the Soeharto trial, the trial of Bob Hasan would also be held under "very strict security" at the Central Jakarta District Court, where seats for the public would be limited and the press would have to register themselves at the court for special ID cards to cover the trial.

"The date for registration has not been set... it should be a few days before the initial hearing," Subardi said.

Hasan, who briefly served as the minister of industry and trade under former president Soeharto, had been detained at the Attorney General's Office since March 28 when he was named a suspect in the graft case.

The case centers on a government project to map Indonesia's forests. The project was awarded to Hasan's company, PT Mapindo Parama. (ylt)