Witness: Victim bribed judges

JAKARTA: A witness told a hearing of the murder of the president director of PT Aneka Sarana Bakti (Asaba) on Thursday that the victim hired him as middleman "to lobby officers at the court, the penitentiary and the military police headquarters".

Budio Raharjo testified that he was once assigned by Boedyharto Angsono to bribe the head of Salemba Penitentiary not to provide facilities for defendant Gunawan Santoso, who at that time was convicted of embezzlement after financial irregularities involving Rp 40 billion (US$4.7 million) were discovered by PT Asaba finance director Paulus Tejakusuma.

"I was also assigned to lobby the military police to silence a police investigation of suspected forgery related to the embezzlement charge," Budio said.

Along with another man identified as A Liong, Budio was ordered to make sure the judges, including Supreme Court justices, ruled against Boedyharto's ex son-in-law Gunawan.

Gunawan is charged with committing and ordering premeditated murder in July of last year. The murder was carried out in the parking lot of the Sasana Krida Sports Stadium in Penjaringan, North Jakarta. If convicted the defendant could be sentenced to death.

Presiding judge I Wayan Padang Pudjawan adjourned the trial until March 23 to hear 11 witnesses. -- JP