KPK told to procee with graft case

JAKARTA: A panel of judges in the court hearing of a Rp 10.2 billion (US$1.13 million) graft case involving the procurement of land to build a seaport in Tual, Maluku, with main suspects Let Let and Tarcisius Walla, rejected their defense statements.

"The panel of judges rejected the defense statement from the defendants and declared the indictment, submitted by the prosecutors from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), valid, thus the prosecutors should continue with the case," Head of the panel Mansyurdin Chaniago said in the preliminary verdict on Monday.

Mansyurdin added that both defendants were charged under Law No. 31/1999, Law No. 20/2001 and Article 55 of the Criminal Code.

The panel also decided to keep both defendants under detention in Salemba Penitentiary.

The trial, which took place in Uppindo Building in Jakarta, will continue on Tuesday. -- JP