Lecturer rejects testimony

JAKARTA (JP): A lecturer on trial for misusing hundreds of millions of rupiah of college funds told the court yesterday that eight prosecution witnesses had lied.

Reading his own defense statement, Pieter Neke, 47, a vice director of the College of Management Science, told the East Jakarta District Court that eight out of 18 witnesses gave perjurious testimony about the handling of funds at the college.

In a previous session Prosecutor Agung Dipo requested the court sentence Pieter to two years and six months in jail for embezzling Rp. 196,900,000 (US$81,532) of college funds which he had deposited into his own bank account.

The defendant said the witnesses claimed: "I had deposited the money into my bank account between 1988 and 1990, but the truth was that the account was only opened in April 1990."

Pieter also rejected the witnesses' testimony which had accused him of receiving money from the treasurer of the college's examination committee and using it himself.

He said what he had received was an official payment as were those made to other members of the committee.

The trial was adjourned until next week. (05)