Defence Witness will be Present at Present Hartati Murdaya's Hearing

Jakarta - Several defence witnesses will be present at the hearing of Indonesia's leading business woman, Hartati Murdaya, at the Corruption Court on Thursday. Defence witnesses who will be present at the hearing include XI Buol King of Central Sulawesi, Raja Ibrahim Turungku, former Secretary of the Buol parliament, Mansur Sadu, and legislator Lasman Arifin, who believes that Hartati had developed Buol¿s economy. The statement was made by Hartati's attorney, Dodi Abdul Kadir, on Thursday. Dodi said Raja Ibrahim Turungku arrived in Jakarta on January 1, and will appear at the Corruption Court as a defence witness for Hartati Murdaya on Thursday. According to Dodi, the king believes that Hartati Murdaya had not taken or given bribes. Hartati had used funds to develop Buol. According to the king, Hartati had provided jobs to thousands of people and had developed Buol¿s economy. "The king is certain that Hartati is innocent. He believes that Hartati should not be punished. Many community leaders believe that Hartati is not corrupt," said Dodi. Buol was founded in the 13th century. Now, the region has developed into a district, but it is still ruled by the royal family, led by XII King Ibrahim Turungku of the Kumali House in Buol, Central Sulawesi. On Thursday, criminal law expert Eva Ahyani Zulfa will be required to testify that phone calls made by Hartati to Buol¿s District Chief, Amran Batalipu, cannot be used as legal evidence. This will prove that Hartati is innocent. Meanwhile, land expert BF Sihombing will be required provide details of Hardaya Inti Plantation, PT HIP. He will be required to show that the owner of the palm oil plantation in Buol has the relevant legal permits to run the plantation. "PT HIP does not require a new license. If there is an issue with regard to the transfer of funds from the company to Amran Batalipu, it should be addressed separately. This case is not related to the permit issue," said Dodi. (*)