The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network
Thursday, Nov 29, 2012
JAKARTA - Business tycoon Siti Hartati Murdaya, 68, has repeatedly proclaimed her innocence in the bribery scandal involving Buol regent Amran Batalipu, but on Wednesday the Democratic Party politician stood trial as a defendant.
The Jakarta Corruption Court indicted Hartati, a member of the Democratic Party's board of patrons, for bribery. According to the indictment, Hartati allegedly bribed Amran Rp 3 billion (S$380,000) to secure business permits for the operation of her oil palm plantation in Buol, Central Sulawesi.
Prosecutors alleged the bribery plot was initiated by Hartati and Amran when the two met at the Jakarta Fairground (PRJ), a property controlled by Hartati, in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, in April.
"The defendant asked Amran to issue a business permit for her company rather than giving it to [her competitor company] PT Sonokeling Buana and Amran agreed to the request," prosecutor Efa Yustisiani said on Wednesday.
In June, Hartati allegedly instructed two of her aides, Yani Anshori, a general manager with PT Hardaya Inti Plantation (HIP) and Gondo Sudjono, an operational director for the company, to visit Amran's house in Buol and hand over Rp 1 billion - the first payment of the promised Rp 3 billion.
Several days after this payment, Yani and Gondo went to make the second payment. Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators arrested the two after they gave the money to Amran.
For her role in the scandal, prosecutors have charged Hartati with violating Article 5 of the 2001 Corruption Law, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and for violating Article 13 of the law on bribery, which carries a maximum three-year sentence.
"Yes, I understand," Hartati replied when presiding judge Gusrizal asked whether or not she understood the indictment. The trial was adjourned until next Thursday.
Although Hartati did not file any complaints over the indictment, her lawyer Deny Kailimang asked the panel of judges to allow her to leave detention to visit the hospital for a regular check-up. Deny also requested the judges to unfreeze Hartati's bank accounts.
The KPK has frozen 36 bank accounts belonging to Hartati, since the commission detained her in September. Deny said that because his client was indicted with bribery charges her bank accounts had no relevance to the case, therefore, they should be reopened.
Hartati said, "The bank accounts are not related to my company. I need the money to fund the construction of a hospital. The money is also needed to pay thousands of my employee's salaries."
During Wednesday's hearing, almost a hundred of Hartati's employees attended court, reportedly under instruction from the businesswoman.
Hartati owns PT Cipta Cakra Murdaya (CCM), a holding company consisting of several sub-companies such as PT Hardaya Inti Plantation and PT Sebuku Inti Plantation involved in the oil palm plantation business in Buol.
PT CCM had a permit to secure 75,090 hectares of land in Buol regency. But, it only acquired a business operation permit for 4,500 hectares. Hartati was trying to secure the business permit for the rest of the land.
In other developments in the graft case, the KPK prosecutors have indicted Amran on multiple charges that could see him face up to 20 years imprisonment should he be found guilty. Meanwhile, Yani and Gondo were sentenced to 18 months and one year in prison respectively.
Before the KPK began investigating the case, many regarded Hartati as untouchable due to her close connection with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
