Justices named for top appeal trials
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)