Most graft cases submitted by forestry ministry turned down

JAKARTA (JP): Twelve of 15 reports of alleged graft handed over by the Ministry of Forestry to the Attorney General's Office have been rejected due to insufficient evidence, a senior forestry official said here on Thursday.

Ministry of Forestry secretary-general Soeripto said the Attorney General's Office rejected the 12 cases on the grounds that the 12 cases were not supported with adequate data and evidence.

"But it doesn't say what kind of data is needed," he told a media briefing.

Soeripto said that although the Attorney Genera's Office did not specify what kind of information was needed to support the reports on graft, his office was gathering new evidence so that the 12 cases would reach court.

The three accepted reports are on cases allegedly involving Mohammad "Bob" Hasan's PT Mapindo Parama, Tommy Soeharto's PT Gatari and Probosutedjo's Menara Hutan Buana.

The 15 cases of alleged graft in forestry came to light as a result of investigations conducted by a joint team consisting of Ministry of Forestry and Plantations (then ministry of forestry) personnel and the Attorney General's Office.

In February last year, the team submitted to the Attorney General's Office 15 reports on alleged graft cases, including misuse of reforestation funds, land exchange and land appropriation to be litigated.

The cases involved members of former president Soeharto's inner circle including his close friend Bob Hasan, his eldest daughter Siti Hardijanti "Tutut" Rukmana, his half brother Probosutedjo and friends Prajogo Pangestu and Ibrahim Risjad.

After four months of investigation, the Attorney General's Office sent 12 cases back to the Ministry of Forestry, noting that the allegations were not backed up with adequate evidence.

Early last month, the Jakarta High Court pronounced timber tycoon Bob Hasan guilty of stealing US$75 million in forestry funds belonging to the Ministry of Forestry. He was sentenced to two years in prison.

The Attorney General's Office is also investigating Hasan's alleged involvement in misappropriating some US$84 million earmarked for export promotions that came from the monthly dues of members of the Association of Indonesian Wood Panel Producers.

Meanwhile, the office's investigations into Tommy Soeharto's PT Gatari and Probosutedjo's PT Menara Hutan Buana are still under way, Soeripto added.

Soeripto said the ministry expected to resubmit three of the 12 cases to the Attorney General's Office if it succeeded in gathering sufficient data.

Among the three cases is the alleged misappropriation of reforestation funds by PT Musi Hutan Persada, which is located in South Sumatra and belongs to Prajogo Pangestu and Tutut, Soeripto said.

The two cases involve Anthony Salim's PT Buana Mega Wisatama and PT Besland Pertiwi on Bintan island and Cikampek, he added.

Soeripto, who is also a former military intelligence officer, said that his office would cooperate with state institutions, including the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) and the Military Intelligence Body in collecting data to support the graft allegation. (03)