No hard feelings, says Bagir

JAKARTA: Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan said the new justices assigned to hear the appeal case of Probosutedjo would not aim to seek revenge because of the businessman's admission that he had paid bribes to judges and prosecutors.

"Why we should seek revenge? We are judges and I told Pak Probo that there would be no hard feelings," Bagir said on Wednesday.

Previously, Probosutedjo reported that he had paid Rp 6 billion (US$600,000) in bribes to Bagir and other justices through his lawyer Harini Wijoso to get himself acquitted. The Jakarta High Court had upheld his sentence of two years imprisonment for the embezzlement of reforestation funds.

Bagir said that the new panel of judges would surely be objective in delivering a verdict. -- Antara