Guess What? Lalu Mariyun

Guess where Judge Lalu Mariyun was while prosecutors and lawyers waited four hours for him to start a crucial hearing of the trial on the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) scandal?

"Look, don't see things negatively. I had gone to see some apartments promised to judges recently transferred here by the Ministry of Justice and Human Rights. That's all," the 55-year- old man, who has been head of the South Jakarta District Court for five months and a sitting judge for the past 21 years, said after the session at the South Jakarta District Court.

Tuesday's hearing, which was supposed to begin at 9 a.m., began at 1 p.m. instead.

"I am not hiding anything. The ministry promised all newly transferred judges here an apartment," said the man, who is best remembered as the presiding judge of the multimillion dollar graft trial of former president Soeharto.

He added that some of the apartments were situated in the Rasuna Said area of South Jakarta, while others were in the Kelapa Gading area of North Jakarta.

"Don't ask me where I went again," Lalu said, before running straight for his office.

He did not seem too bothered that an important witness who had to testify at the session -- Aris Junaidi, brother of legislator Arifin Junaidi -- left the court at 11:30 a.m. to keep a business appointment. (ylt)