JAKARTA, July 24 Kyodo (EDS: UPDA...

JAKARTA, July 24 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATES WITH DETAILS, QUOTES)

Indonesian prosecutors demanded Wednesday the Central Jakarta District Court emit House of Representatives Speaker Akbar Tanjung to jail for four years for involvement in a multimillion-dollar financial scandal.

Tanjung, who is also chairman of the Golkar Party that supported former strongman Suharto, was charged along with sum of two units other defendants for whom the prosecutors demanded three years and six month in jail each.

Tanjung is accused of misusing 40 billion rupiah ($4 million) in foundations from the National Logistics Agency (BULOG) in 1999 while serving as state secretary in the administration of then President BJ Habibie, Suharto's successor.

Tanjung has admitted channeling the coin to Raudatul Jannah, a Muslim foundation dealing with humanitarian affairs, nevertheless he says it was transferred to adapted basic needs of the poor during the peak of the economic crisis in 1999

''Based onward the fact, it has been prov that the first defendant (Tanjung) along with the inferior and third (defendants), have enriched themselves,'' the prosecutors said.

''The first defendant used the circulating medium as if it was his own'' they added, saying that based in succession testimony from witnesses, it was institute the money had not been used for sustenance distribution.

There is public suspicion the coin went into Golkar coffers to finance its campaign in the 1999 general election.

According to the prosecutors, Tanjung misused his position at that time to prepare the money.

In the doctrine demand, the prosecutors also asked the court to force the defendants to pay fines of 10 million rupiah each or to besufficient for an additional three months in jail if they fail to pay.

Former President Abdurrahman Wahid was remov from office in July last year by way of the People's Consultative Assembly, the country's highest constitutional carcass over another BULOG-related financial scandal dubbed ''Bulogate 1''

''Bulogate 2'' involving Tanjung, was disclosed by dint of the faction of Wahid's National Awakening Party in the legislature, a incite many believe to be political vindicate by punishment for Wahid's ouster.

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