TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Minister of Agriculture Suswono will be a witness in trial for Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) former chairman Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq today. Luthfi is tried in Criminal Acts of Corruption (Tipikor) after being hospitalized for quite some time.
Today's trial is scheduled for witness questioning regarding beef import quota bribery case. M. Assegaf, Luthfi’s legal advisor, said the prosecutor will present six witnesses. "Witnesses for Luthfi are Baran Wirawan, Soewarso, Suswono, Achmad Rozi, Ahmad Zaky, Denni P. Adiningrat," M. Assegaf said yesterday.
The appearance is Suswono's third time for the case.
Previously, he has witnessed for defendant Arya Abdi Effendi and Juard Effendi on May 17, and for Ahmad Fathanah on August 22. In those two testimonies, Suswono admitted of meeting Luthfi, Fathanah and the president of PT Indoguna Utama Maria Elizabeth Liman in Medan in January 2013, but the minister denied his involvement in the case.
Other witnesses for the case are Ahmad Zaky, former personal secretary of Luthfi Hasan, Achamd Rozy, Fathanah’s lawyer and Luthfi’s former legal advisor, Denni P. Adiningrat, PT Radina Niaga Mulia Commissioner who is also Fathanah’s business partner, Soewarso, and Ministry of Agriculture official, Baran Wirawan.
Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq has been charged for accepting a bribe of Rp1.3 billion from PT Indoguna Utama to smoothen the way for the company to gain more beef import quota. Luthfi was also charged for money laundering since he took office as a House member in 2004.
NUR ALFIYAH