Justices named for top appeal trials
JAKARTA (JP): The Supreme Court has named presiding justices for the trials to hear appeals sought by lawyers of former president Soeharto and his fugitive son Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra.
The Supreme Court's director for criminal cases, Djoko Sarwoko, told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday Justice M. Syaifuddin Kartasasmita would preside over the panel of justices who would hear an appeal against a High Court ruling to reopen the multi- million dollar graft case involving Soeharto.
Djoko said the panel would also comprise Sunuwahadi and Artidjo Alkausar, one of 15 new justices installed last November.
Syaifuddin headed the panel of justices which sentenced Tommy on Sept. 22 last year to an 18-month jail term and fined him Rp 30.7 billion (US$3.34 million) over a fraudulent land exchange deal.
A lower court ruling exonerated Tommy of corruption charges in the deal between State Logistics Agency (Bulog) and PT Goro Batara Sakti in which Tommy was a commissioner with 80 percent shares.
His partner in PT Goro, businessman Ricardo Gelael, was also sentenced to 18 months in jail by the Supreme Court. Ricardo too has requested a presidential pardon.
The new Supreme Court Deputy Chief Justice M.A. Taufik has been picked to handle Tommy's appeal against the Supreme Court verdict, along with panel members Suharto, who is Supreme Court chief of written civil cases, and German Budiarto, Supreme Court chief of military cases.
Lawyers of Soeharto filed the Supreme Court appeal after the Jakarta High Court overturned on Nov. 8 last year the South Jakarta District Court's ruling to cease the corruption trial against Soeharto on the grounds that state prosecutors failed to present the suspect three times in a row.
The Jakarta High Court also ordered the resumption of Soeharto's city arrest status.
The now ailing Soeharto, 79, who resigned as president in May 1998, is accused of stealing $571 million from the state by funneling money from seven charity foundations he chaired into businesses belonging to his family and cronies.
Djoko said, however, the dates for the two appeal hearings remained undecided. (ylt)