HAPI to probe Elza over bribery<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Advocates and Lawyers Association (HAPI)
\nannounced on Friday that it will launch an investigation next
\nweek into the alleged bribery of one of its members, Elza
\nSyarief, who is also a lawyer of Hutomo \"Tommy\" Mandala Putra.<\/p>\n
Elza is believed to have paid several witnesses in Tommy's
\ntrial to lie before the court, and to have attempted to bribe
\nthe late Supreme Court Justice M. Syafiuddin Kartasasmita, who
\nwas allegedly killed upon Tommy's order, after ruling against
\nhim.<\/p>\n
The general secretary of HAPI, Suhardi Somomoeljono, added the
\nassociation had decided to form a team to investigate the
\nallegation. A Supreme Court justice, a House of Representatives
\nmember, a university professor of law and two HAPI members have
\nagreed to join the team.<\/p>\n
He refused to reveal their identities, but said that HAPI had
\nalso appointed Adnan Buyung Nasution as the team advisor.<\/p>\n
Buyung has been appointed, even though he will also represent
\nElza in the corruption case.<\/p>\n
Even though HAPI has a disciplinary committee, it decided to
\nestablish the team to avoid public suspicion, upon the advice of
\nBuyung and six other legal associations.<\/p>\n
\"If we find her guilty, HAPI will ask the high court to annul
\nher professional license, Suhardi said.<\/p>\n
He also suggested that Elza resign from her post as Tommy's
\nlawyer, pending the result of the probe, \"but it will be up to
\nthe team\".<\/p>\n
He claimed that HAPI is serious in its handling of the case.<\/p>\n
\"But we urge the police to support us in investigating this
\ncase by allowing witnesses, who are currently being detained, to
\nattend the questioning (by HAPI's team). If the police refuse our
\nrequest, it will be difficult for us to carry out the
\ninvestigation.\"<\/p>\n
The police have named Elza a suspect and will summon her next
\nweek over the allegation.<\/p>\n
Elza, the police said, offered Rp 2 million each to Rahmat
\nHidayat and Tatang Somantri, both former security guards of the
\nSoeharto family's Cemara apartment, where the police found
\nseveral firearms and ammunition allegedly belonging to Tommy.<\/p>\n
Both Rahmat and Tatang have admitted Elza bribed them to
\nretract their statements before the police in the hearing.<\/p>\n
They are currently being held at Jakarta Police Headquarters.<\/p>\n
Elza is also believed to have attempted to bribe Syafiuddin
\nwith Rp 200 million. Syafiuddin, however, rejected the request
\nand gave Tommy an 18-month jail term for graft.<\/p>\n
The allegation was first revealed by Syafiuddin's second wife,
\nIwah Setyawati, last year.<\/p>\n
At the time, HAPI had set up a team to probe Elza's case, but
\nthey claimed they could not proceed because Iwah had refused to
\nanswer their summon.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hapi-to-probe-elza-over-bribery-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}