Anas Questioned As Suspect on Bribery Case

Jakarta (Antara Bali) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) reinterrogated former ruling party general chairman Anas Urbaningrum here on Wednesday, for his alleged involvement in a bribery case linked to the Hambalang sports complex development and other projects.

Anas has been held at the KPK detention center since January 10.

On his arrival at the at KPK building for reinterrogation, Anas refused to comment on his case, but instead spoke about a legal notice that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's lawyer filed against Sri Mulyono, an activist of the Perhimpunan Pergerakan Indonesia (PPI), a new organization set up by Anas.

"I think the notice has no urgency. Is it appropriate for a ruler to submit a legal notice to the people he leads," he stated.

On this occasion, Anas was accompanied by lawyers Adnan Buyung Nasution and Firman Wijaya. "It is acceptable for me to be questioned about Hambalang, but not for other projects. What other projects are they referring to? Tell me so that we know what they are. To me this is a principle thing. A citizen who is summoned must know the reason behind it, otherwise it is a violation of the law," he emphasized.

Firman Wijaya remarked that Anas had once expressed hope that the president will ask the KPK to summon Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono alias Ibas for questioning in regard to the same case.

"He (Anas) once said that if he were SBY, he would even take Ibas himself to KPK, so that all speculations can be cleared. Anas has opposed any form of special treatment. Any person keen on testifying in order to eradicate corruption should not prevented," he noted.

Ibas was a member of the steering committee during the Democratic Party's congress to elect its new general chairman in Bandung in 2010, which finally appointed Anas.

The former deputy financial director of PT Permai Group alleged that Ibas had received US$200 thousand from the company in order to meet the needs of the congress.

PT Permai Group is owned by Nazaruddin, the former treasurer of the Democratic Party, which was founded among others by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Nazaruddin is now behind bars after being convicted in a corruption case. Many board members of the party have so far been summoned by the KPK in connection with the Hambalang case, except Ibas, who is currently the party's secretary general. Even former sports minister Andi Mallarangeng has been detained in connection with the same case.

Today, the KPK is also scheduled to question a parliamentary member over the case. Anas was named suspect on February 22, 2012, for allegedly violating articles in the corruption law, which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment or a minimum four-year imprisonment and a fine between Rp200 million and Rp1 billion.

In the indictment of former head of financial and household bureau of the ministry of sport Deddy Kusdinar as an official, who made a commitment in the Hambalang project, mentioned that Anas received Rp2.21 billion from the project to help finance his bid to win the chairmanship of the Democratic Party in the congress in Bandung.

The money was handed over to Anas in stages between April 19, 2010 and December 6, 2010, in order to meet the congress needs such as paying hotel bills and car rentals and buying Blackberry smartphones for the congress participants that supported and entertained them. (*/DWA)