Former minister testifies against Timan

JAKARTA: Former finance minister Mar'ie Muhammad took the stand in the South Jakarta District Court on Friday to testify against the former president director of state-owned investment firm PT Bahana Pembinaan Usaha Indonesia (BPUI), Sudjiono Timan, 42, who has been charged with corruption in a US$240.9 million scandal.

Mar'ie said that he had disbursed Rp 250 billion (US$26.7 million) in loans to BPUI in response to the 1997 economic crisis. The fund was aimed at stabilizing the market.

"BPUI directors must be made responsible if they used the money for purposes other than what it was meant for, which was to stabilize the market. It's not fair if the government has to take all the responsibility," he told the court.

Prosecutors charged Timan under the Anticorruption Law for allegedly abusing his authority to amass wealth for himself and other people. The law carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment.

PT BPUI is a company under the central bank and is responsible for channeling funds to help small and medium-sized enterprises. -- JP