Prosecutors warned in bizarre case turn

Prosecutors warned in bizarre case turn

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Justice Muladi warned Ujungpandang
prosecutors on Monday of stirring the public's anger by demanding
the release of Golkar legislator Nurdin Halid, who is on trial
for corruption.

Although it is the presiding judge who will hand down a
verdict in the case, Muladi said the prosecutors would be held
accountable by the people.

"Every party must be careful here because this is a celebrity
case," he said at the House of Representatives when asked to
comment on the trial's latest development.

In a bizarre twist in the case, a team of prosecutors led by
Mustafa Chani demanded the Ujungpandang District Court release
Nurdin, citing their failure to provide adequate evidence to
prove the charges leveled against him.

Nurdin is accused of embezzling Rp 115.77 billion (US$12
million) from farmers' compulsory accounts at a local cooperative
center. Nurdin is a former director of the cooperative center,
which acted as the sole buyer of cloves from village cooperatives
in the province.

Mustafa fainted after demanding Nurdin be released while
Nurdin shouted Allah Akbar (Allah is Great) and Alhamdulillah
(Thank God) and his supporters in the courtroom celebrated,
Kompas daily reported on Monday. Mustafa was admitted to the
hospital.

Muladi said on Monday prosecutors could demand an acquittal if
they were convinced the defendant was not guilty.

"It's not a must to have a defendant sent to jail," he said.

It was reported from Ujungpandang on Monday that Mustafa left
the hospital where he was being treated.

Mustafa was discharged from the hospital, but when contacted
at his home, Mustafa's daughter told The Jakarta Post she did not
know where her father was.

The hospital also is unaware of Mustafa's whereabouts. Local
police said Mustafa's family had not reported him as missing.

Meanwhile, the dean of Hasanuddin University's School of Law,
Achmad Ali, said on Monday that lecturers of law from five
universities in Ujungpandang would establish an independent team
on Tuesday to probe why Mustafa demanded Nurdin be released.
(30/aan)