Most graft cases submitted by forestry ministry turned down

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)