Bulog defendant freed due to ambiguous indictment

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Due to ambiguities in the indictment, the South Jakarta District Court suspended on Thursday the corruption trial of businessman Hokiarto in a case involving convict Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra in a land scam that caused the state to suffer Rp 95.4 billion in losses.

"The trial of defendant Hokiarto will be suspended in the name of justice and the indictment must be sent back to the prosecutors (to tighten the charges up)," presiding judge Zoeber Djajadi said.

According to the panel of judges, consisting of Judge Torang Tampubolon and Judge Ridwantoro, the case will be brought before the North Jakarta District Court instead of the South Jakarta District Court, because the crime took place in North Jakarta.

They also said that the indictment was ambiguous and uncertain.

"Such ambiguities would make it difficult for the defendant or his lawyers to prepare his defense," Judge Zoeber said.

Hokiarto, who was accompanied by lawyer Hotman Paris Hutapea, said that he welcomed the ruling.

But chief prosecutor Imanuel Zebua said that he would challenge the decision.

"We have done our best in preparing the indictment," he said, denying that there were any ambiguities.

Hokiarto has been charged with involvement in the high-profile land scam deal involving the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) in 1999.

Tommy and businessman Ricardo Gelael were accused of the same offenses and went on trial in 1999. They were acquitted of the graft charges at South Jakarta District Court. However, the Supreme Court overturned the verdict by sentencing both defendants to an 18-month jail term.

Ricardo served the sentence, but Tommy ran away. The youngest son of former president Soeharto became later involved in the murder of Justice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, one of the judges who sentenced him.

Tommy is serving a 15-year jail sentence for the murder and three other offences.

Last year, former Bulog chief Beddu Amang was sentenced to two years in jail by the South Jakarta District Court for graft. He appealed the verdict to the Jakarta High Court, but the high court sentenced him to four years in jail for the crime.