Supreme Court examines dossiers on Goro case
Supreme Court examines dossiers on Goro case
JAKARTA (JP): The Supreme Court is examining dossiers on the
controversial Rp 95.4 billion (US$13.4 million) Goro land case
which were filed on appeal with the court about two months ago,
an official said on Tuesday.
"The dossiers are being examined by staff of the Directorate
of Criminal Cases," Pranowo, Supreme Court secretary-general,
told The Jakarta Post.
The dossiers, which name Hutomo "Tommy" Mandala Putra, the
youngest son of former president Soeharto, and businessman
Ricardo Gelael as suspects, were received by the court on Dec. 21
from the South Jakarta District Court based on an appeal lodged
by the prosecutors, who disagreed with the judges' decision to
clear the suspects of all corruption charges in the land exchange
deal.
According to Pranowo, examination of the dossiers is needed to
check whether they meet administrative standards.
"After the examination is completed, Supreme Court Chief
Justice Sarwata will appoint a team of three judges of the court
to try the case," he said.
Pranowo has strongly denied that the Supreme Court has dragged
its feet with the case due to Tommy's status.
"We must check the completeness of the dossiers, which of
course takes time," he argued, adding that failure to carefully
examine the dossiers would only impede the legal process.
Last October, or about five months after Soeharto was forced
by antigovernment rallies to leave his 32-year presidential post,
the South Jakarta District Court exonerated Tommy, former
president commissioner of wholesale firm PT Goro Batara Sakti,
of all corruption charges in the 1995 land exchange deal with the
State Logistics Agency (Bulog).
Ricardo, ex-president director of the firm, who was tried
separately at the same district court, was also cleared of all
charges.
Prosecutors in the district court trial were demanding that
both Tommy and Ricardo be sentenced to two years in jail.
The judges concluded that the court did not have adequate
evidence to prove the charges against the two.
The prosecutors vowed to lodge an appeal with the Supreme
Court right after the verdict. (asa)