Timan faces 20 years in jail

A former president director of state-owned company PT Bahana Pembinaan Usaha Indonesia (PBUI) is facing corruption charges at the South Jakarta District Court for allegedly costing taxpayers an astronomical total of US$240.9 million.

Prosecutor Boediman Rahardjo presented on Thursday the 54-page indictment of defendant Sudjiono Timan, 42, who was charged under several articles of the Anticorruption Law, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment.

"The defendant had manipulated his authority to amass wealth for himself and other parties," said Boediman before the hearing, which was presided over by Judge IDG Putra Jadnya.

PT BPUI is a company under the central bank which was responsible for channeling funds to help small- and medium-sized companies.

During the defendant's term as president director, PT BPUI had disbursed the money to several companies which did not qualify for the program. They included Asia Finance Limited and Festival Company Inc., which are respectively owned by his close friends Agus Anwar and tycoon Prajogo Pangestu.

Sudjiono had also approved the disbursement of Rp 263 billion of PT BPUI's investment fund account (RDI) to both companies and PT Penta Investment Limited.

The hearing will resume next week to hear the defendant's side of the story.

Sudjiono is currently under house arrest. Judge Jadnya approved last December his request of house arrest on behalf of his poor health and after paying over Rp 150 million in bail. --JP