JAKARTA, July 25 (Reuters) - An Indonesian court overturned on Thursday a finding that consulting firm PT Deloitte & Touche FAS violated competition laws over the government's sale of a car maker that once belonged to the debt-laden Salim Group.
The case, and others pending related to the sale of PT Indomobil Sukses International , highlight the difficulties in Indonesia of selling billions of dollars worth of assets controlled by the state, some analysts have said.
They say there often seem to be sticking points after, or sometimes before, such sales go through.
"The panel of judges at the Central Jakarta District Court grant the appeal (and have) annulled KPPU's ruling on May 30," chief judge Rusdi As'ad told the court.
"We will appeal soon," David M.L. Tobing, a lawyer for KPPU -- Indonesia's anti-monopoly commission -- told reporters. Under Indonesian law, the KPPU has 30 days to appeal to the Supreme Court.
The KPPU had fined Deloitte and several local firms about $30 million in total in May for alleged violations concerning the sale of PT Indomobil by Indonesia's Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA).
The fines drew praise from some quarters as indicating Indonesian regulators were getting tough over abuses of the IBRA sales process.
But the fined companies denied wrongdoing, and some observers said the after-the-fact actions by the KPPU could discourage investors from participating in future sales by IBRA and other state entities.
Last month Deloitte, an adviser to the sale, appealed to the Central Jakarta District Court because it considered the ruling unfair. Others involved are also contesting the KPPU decision.
KPPU had investigated the sale of a 72.63 percent stake in Indomobil after widespread suspicion the Salim Group, the largest debtor to the government following bail-out efforts during the economic crisis of the late 1990's, might be behind the bidders.
Debtors are prohibited from buying back their assets.
The commission has said Deloitte knew bidders did not meet certain conditions set out in the sale but allowed them to proceed.
IBRA took over Indomobil from the Salim Group as part of a complex debt settlement scheme.
Another Jakarta court on Wednesday postponed to August 1 a similar trial over an appeal by several other parties fined by the commission. ($1=8,997 rupiah)