KPK presses ahead with graft probe at KPU<\/p>\n
Eva C. Komandjaja and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) continued on Tuesday
\nits investigation into alleged corruption at the General
\nElections Commission (KPU), interrogating three KPU officials and
\nseizing documents owned by declared suspect Mulyana W. Kusumah.<\/p>\n
Mulyana, a KPU member who was arrested by KPK investigators
\nlast Friday for allegedly trying to bribe a state official, was
\ntaken from Salemba Penitentiary to his office at the KPU building
\non Jl. Imam Bonjol, Central Jakarta, at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
For about four hours, KPK investigators examined documents in
\nMulyana's office, seizing 61 of them believed to contain evidence
\nof corrupt activities at the KPU.<\/p>\n
Mulyana's lawyers Denny Kailimang and Sirra Prayuna were
\nquoted by Antara as saying that Mulyana explained to KPK
\ninvestigators the contents of each of the seized documents during
\nthe four-hour raid.<\/p>\n
However, the lawyers refused to tell reporters what kind of
\ndocuments had been seized from their client's office, saying that
\nthe contents were highly confidential.<\/p>\n
Separately, KPK deputy chairman Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas told
\nThe Jakarta Post that the commission would focus on the bribery
\ncase involving Mulyana before expanding the investigation into
\nother KPU members.<\/p>\n
"There is a possibility that other KPU members will soon be
\nnamed as suspects but we have to wait for the results of our
\ninvestigation before we can name names," Erry said.<\/p>\n
Mulyana, a noted criminologist and human rights activist, was
\narrested at a hotel in the West Jakarta area while in a meeting
\nwith an official from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) who was in
\ncharge of auditing last year's general election funds.<\/p>\n
According to previous reports, Mulyana was apparently caught
\nby KPK officers attempting to bribe the BPK official with cash
\ntotaling Rp 150,000 (US$15,800), in an apparent effort to
\npersuade the auditor to conceal alleged misuse of KPU funds.<\/p>\n
The arrest itself remains a matter of controversy, with
\nMulyana's lawyers accusing the KPK of setting up their client,
\nthus violating criminal code procedures (KUHAP). However, the KPK
\ninsists that it has special privileges to investigate major
\ncorruption suspects as stated in Article 12 of Law No. 30\/2002 on
\nthe KPK.<\/p>\n
Apart from seizing Mulyana's documents, KPK investigators also
\nquestioned three KPU members -- head of the finance bureau
\nHamdani Amin, secretary-general Sussongko Suhardjo and a KPU
\nofficial named Mubari -- on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The moves came after KPK investigators decided to search
\nthrough documents at the KPU office in a determined bid to
\ndiscover other evidence on the alleged embezzlement of public
\nfunds.<\/p>\n
However, Erry refused to disclose the results of the
\ninterrogation sessions, claiming that he had not yet received
\nreports from his investigation team.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he
\nsupported KPK's efforts in ridding Indonesia of corruption.<\/p>\n
"The president supports moves by the KPK in eradicating
\ncorruption from Indonesia. Nobody is immune from the law in this
\ncountry," Andi Mallarangeng, the presidential spokesman, told the
\npress at the State Palace on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Andi said that corruption eradication has been Susilo's top
\npriority since he took office last year.<\/p>\n
"The success of the KPK in eradicating corruption is the
\nsuccess of the government as well," he said.<\/p>\n
Earlier, a coalition of non-governmental organizations accused
\nthe KPU of involvement in markup practices in the procurement of
\nelection materials that caused losses to the state of some Rp 375
\nbillion.<\/p>",
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