Constitutional Court chief sued over blank checks

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 06/29/2010 3:39 PM

A businessman has sued Constitutional Court chief Moh. Mahfud M.D. and executives of the court’s cooperative and demanded Rp 4.2 billion (US$461,000) in damages for issuing blank checks to pay several procurement contracts awarded to him.

Gusmawati Azwar, a lawyer representing businessman Tamrin Sianipar, said Mahfud was dragged into the civil case as the cooperative fell under the auspice of the Constitutional Court.

“The cooperative is facilitated by the Constitutional Court. The court chief must be held responsible for any wrong doing in his office,” Gusmawati said as quoted by Antara

The case is being heard at the Central Jakarta District Court. After opening the trial Wednesday last week, the judges adjourned the hearing until Thursday to enable the conflicting parties to consider an out-of-court settlement through mediation.

The case centers on Tamrin’s failure to cash three checks worth Rp 188.1 million, Rp 225.5 million and Rp 3.79 billion as payment of procurement of work jackets, the repainting of the Constitutional Court building and renovation of official residences in Bekasi, West Java, last year.

Tamrin said he had invested Rp 3.84 billion and was promised a 10 percent margin by cooperative head Hendani. A series of negotiations to solve the dispute failed and Hendani reportedly had gone missing since April of this year, prompting Tamrin to file a lawsuit.