Arifin threatens to sue AGO for defamation<\/p>\n
JAKARTA(JP): Politician and businessman Arifin Panigoro denied
\nany wrongdoing on Wednesday and even threatened to sue the
\nAttorney General's Office for declaring him a graft suspect
\nrecently.<\/p>\n
Arifin argued that the office's move was purely politically
\nmotivated.<\/p>\n
"I have been disadvantaged by this defamation," said Arifin,
\nwho called a media conference at his residence in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He stated that he had not even been summoned by the
\nprosecutors' office in relation to the alleged graft case.<\/p>\n
"It happens that I am a player on the political stage. So I
\nhave suffered the impact, being labeled a corruptor," said the
\nchairman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI
\nPerjuangan) faction at the House of Representatives.<\/p>\n
Arifin, one of the most outspoken opponents of beleaguered
\nPresident Abdurrahman Wahid, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing
\nin his past business activities.<\/p>\n
On Tuesday, the Attorney General's Office named Arifin a graft
\nsuspect in connection with the investigation into a loan
\nagreement between Arifin's Meta Epsi Drilling Company (Medco)
\ngroup and state-owned investment company PT Bahana Pembinaan
\nUsaha Indonesia (BPUI).<\/p>\n
According to Arifin, the US$77million loan had been properly
\narranged between the two companies, with Medco promising to
\nsettle the debt by the end of this year.<\/p>\n
Commenting on Arifin's threat, spokesman for the prosecutors'
\noffice Mulyohardjo said, "It is anybody's right here to file a
\nlawsuit."<\/p>\n
Mulyohardjo said that his office could name anybody as a
\nsuspect without first summoning the person for questioning.<\/p>\n
"We have also questioned witnesses and our investigators have
\nfound indications that he (Arifin) could be named as a suspect,"
\nMulyohardjo maintained.<\/p>\n
In a related development, Arifin's colleagues at PDI
\nPerjuangan stated that the recent Attorney General's Office
\ndecision on Arifin was the latter's personal concern and did not
\nhave anything to do with party affairs.<\/p>\n
"Arifin Panigoro's problem should be viewed purely from a
\nlegal perspective and not politically," party member Dimyati
\nHartono was quoted by Antara as saying in Surabaya, East Java.<\/p>\n
Dimyati also asked all parties to see the matter
\nstraightforwardly and not relate it to the party's political
\nmoves.<\/p>\n
"Anyway, a political party does not consist of one figure. So
\nif Arifin is guilty (in the case), we should not worry about the
\nparty's affairs. There are people who will take care of it,"
\nDimyati added.<\/p>\n
Separately, another party executive, Mangara Siahaan, shared
\nthe view and said the legal moves toward Arifin would not have
\nany impact on the work of the faction.<\/p>\n
"That's just an ordinary matter and it will not influence our
\nwork. If the faction chairman is absent, then the deputy chairman
\nwill replace him. But of course, we will ask Pak Arifin to
\nimmediately settle the matter," said Mangara, who is also deputy
\nsecretary-general of the party.<\/p>\n
Mangara also stressed that none of the party members had legal
\nimmunity, so if Arifin were found guilty, he should be tried and
\npunished.<\/p>\n
"It will be better if we wait for the case to proceed," he
\nsaid, as quoted by Antara. (emf)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/arifin-threatens-to-sue-ago-for-defamation-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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