Timber tycoon 'Bob' Hasan sent to Nusakambangan

JAKARTA (JP): The government transferred on Tuesday convicted timber tycoon Muhamad "Bob" Hasan from the Cipinang penitentiary in Central Jakarta to the notorious prison island of Nusakambangan in Central Java, in an effort to deter other corruptors.

Hasan, 70, a golf buddy of former president Soeharto, was sent to the tightly-guarded Batu Nusakambangan penitentiary, which is mainly inhabited by criminals convicted of murder, robbery and drug offenses.

According to Nusakambangan warden Sunardi, Hasan arrived at Wijayapura Port at 6:30 a.m. accompanied by Cipinang officer.

Hasan, who is serving a six-year jail term for corruption, was placed in the orientation block, where all new inmates are initially housed.

"We don't know how long he will stay in the block, it depends on the inmate's condition. The longest period will be three months," Sunardi said.

He added that Hasan will receive the same treatment as any other inmate.

The isolated Nusakambangan island holds some 150 inmates, who have an average sentence of over five years.

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Baharuddin Lopa said on Tuesday morning that Hasan was sent to Nusakambangan to deter other corruptors.

"Hopefully, those who commit corruption will think twice, as they could also be sent to Nusakambangan -- not just murderers," Lopa said.

According to Lopa, the transfer was also aimed at preventing the case of Eddy Tansil from reoccurring.

Eddy is a prisoner still at large after bribing wardens and walking out of Cipinang five years ago.

"Eddy Tansil was heavily guarded but still able to escape. Therefore, we decided to transfer Hasan to Nusakambangan, which is relatively more difficult to escape from," he said.

Another reason, Lopa added, is to protect Hasan from any possible threat coming from his fellow inmates.

"It is also proof that anyone can be put in Nusakambangan, whether they are rich or poor," he added.

Lopa, who was installed as a minister one month ago to replace Yusril Ihza Mahendra, denied that the transfer is politically motivated.

Hasan, who held the post as a minister of industry and trade for about two months before Soeharto resigned in 1998 and the cabinet was dissolved, was the first of Soeharto's cronies to be sent to court.

Early in February, the Central Jakarta District Court sentenced Hasan, a former chairman of the Indonesian Forest Concessionaires Association, to two years in jail after he was found guilty of misusing US$75 million in funds belonging to the Ministry of Forestry. He was also ordered to pay a Rp 15 million fine and return Rp 14.1 billion to the state.

The Jakarta High Court later tripled the jail term after it found that the state suffered losses of US$243 million and ordered the convict to repay it.

Meanwhile, prosecutor Arnold Angkouw told reporters that the Attorney General's Office was not aware of the transfer.

"We haven't received notification of the transfer. Transferring inmates is actually the penitentiary's authority," he said.

However, Arnold regretted the transfer as it will make future legal proceedings against Hasan more difficult. Hasan is currently being investigated in relation to another case.

Prosecutors suspect that Hasan, a former chief patron of the Association of Indonesian Wood Panel Producers, and Asmaning Tjipto Wignjoprajitno, the association's former chairman, misappropriated some $84 million.

"Yes, Hasan can give written statements, but we should consider the effectiveness and efficiency of the process," Arnold said. (45/hdn)