Rahardi's sentence demands on Oct. 1

JAKARTA: Prosecutors are expected to announce their sentence demands on Oct. 1 for former chief of the State Logistics Agency (Bulog) Rahardi Ramelan for his alleged role in the high-profile Bulog scam involving Golkar Party Chairman Akbar Tandjung.

Rahardi is being tried in the South Jakarta District Court for allegedly misappropriating Rp 62.9 billion in state funds between 1998 and 1999.

Rahardi gave Rp 40 billion of the funds to Akbar, Rp 10 billion to former Minister of Defense Gen. (ret) Wiranto and distributed the rest to a variety of sources, including to the Presidential Guards.

Many believe the Rp 40 billion was channeled to the Golkar Party during the 1999 election.

Akbar, the speaker of the House of Representatives, was sentenced to three-years jail by the Central Jakarta District Court last week. Two other defendants, Dadang Sukandar and Winfried Simatupang, received 18 months in jail sentences. --JP