The Hindu : Jail term for Tandjung

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Sep 05, 2002

International

International

Jail term for Tandjung

By P. S. Suryanarayana

SINGAPORE Sept. 4. The Speaker of Indonesia's House of Representatives, Akbar Tandjung, was today convicted on graft charges and sentenced to three years in jail, according to reports.Mr. Akbar, who has consistently denied the allegations, indicated his intention to appeal to the higher courts, and his lawyers are reported to have set the process in motion. The indications in political circles until nightfall were that he might, during the period of appeal, continue in office as Speaker and also the Chairman of Golkar, the party that ruled Indonesia for long in the past and is now a junior partner in the ruling coalition headed by the President, Megawati Sukarnoputri, and her Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle. The charges relate to the non-budgetary funds of the State Logistics Agency. Mr. Akbar was accused of having syphoned money worth about $ 4.5 millions for political purposes and deprived the poor of the sum earmarked for their welfare programmes.

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