Five prosecutors under investigation<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): In another blow to the Indonesian justice
\nsystem, the Attorney General's Office admitted on Wednesday that
\nfive state prosecutors are suspected of taking a Rp 12 billion
\nbribe to conceal evidence.<\/p>\n
The five are currently under investigation by the internal
\naffairs division at the Attorney General's Office in the graft
\ncase involving the former finance manager of Jakarta-based PT
\nAerowisata Catering Service.<\/p>\n
Attorney General Marzuki Darusman confirmed that an internal
\ninvestigation was underway and that the five were being
\nquestioned.<\/p>\n
\"Yes it's true, but we're still awaiting further reports,\" he
\nsaid when asked about the investigation into the five prosecutors
\nwho are still active at the office's directorate of special
\ncrimes.<\/p>\n
The graft case in which the five prosecutors were involved
\ncenters on the alleged swindling of some Rp 28 billion from PT
\nAerowisata's account by then finance manager Kosasih. Kosasih was
\nnamed a suspect in the case last year.<\/p>\n
The Indonesia Reform Advocacy Institute (LARI) in a report
\nhanded to the Attorney General's Office on Monday alleged that
\nthe five prosecutors seized several of Kosasih's properties
\nearlier this year as evidence, despite its ownership being
\nregistered under a different name.<\/p>\n
The seized properties, worth some Rp 12 billion, comprise an
\napartment in Sunter, East Jakarta, a plot of land in the
\nPulogebang area, East Jakarta, an automobile showroom in
\nTangerang with five Mercedes-Benz cars, Kosasih's own private car
\nand several of his houses located in Jakarta, Bogor and Bandung.<\/p>\n
The report, signed by LARI chairman Edi Soemarsono, stated
\nthat the prosecutors then sold off the evidence and divided the
\nspoils.<\/p>\n
According to the report, Kosasih was also told to flee by the
\nprosecutors, thus hampering the case, since the suspect could not
\nbe brought to court.<\/p>\n
Edi claimed that part of the information in the report was
\ntestimony from Kosasih's wife, Betty.<\/p>\n
One of the five prosecutors being investigated, who spoke on
\ncondition of anonymity, admitted that the \"bribe\" did take place
\nto impede the investigation.<\/p>\n
However, he stressed that the seizure and eventual liquidation
\nof assets was only conducted by the head of the prosecutors team,
\nwhile the other four only signed the seizure notification.<\/p>\n
\"I only met Kosasih once during the first questioning...
\nMoreover, I never saw the seized properties and was never
\ninvolved in the seizure plan,\" he said.<\/p>\n
During the investigation, Kosasih was obliged to report
\nregularly to the Attorney General's Office. But he has not
\nreported back since in July.<\/p>\n
\"He has never appeared here since then. From the report I
\nreceived, he was suffering a stroke.\"<\/p>\n
A high-ranking official at the Attorney General's Office, who
\nalso asked for his name to be withheld, said that the office had
\nsuspected a scandal even before it received LARI's report.<\/p>\n
\"We have already issued a warrant for Kosasih and have also
\nasked the West Java's Prosecutor Office and the Bandung Police to
\nhelp us get him,\" he said. (01)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/five-prosecutors-under-investigation-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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