More difficult times await Hamid after Helsinki trip<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Bandung<\/p>\n
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin will have a
\ntough task ahead when he leads the government's negotiators in
\npeace talks with Acehnese leaders in Helsinki on Thursday.<\/p>\n
But a more difficult time awaits him at home as he will face
\nquestioning in connection with a graft case involving the General
\nElections Commission (KPU) -- of which he was a prominent member
\nbefore being appointed minister.<\/p>\n
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman Erry
\nRiyana Hardjapamekas said on Tuesday that the antigraft body had
\nsent a summons to Hamid, who departed later in the day for
\nHelsinki.<\/p>\n
\"We will not investigate him (Hamid) before May 31. Based on
\nhis schedule, he will be in Helsinki for about five days,
\ntherefore his questioning will take place after he gets back
\nhere,\" Erry told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Erry declined to speculate about the status of Hamid before
\nthe questioning takes place.<\/p>\n
A former KPU member, Hamid has been linked to the high-profile
\ngraft case at the national elections organizer.<\/p>\n
Several suspects have said that all KPU members, including
\nHamid, received US$105,000 in kickbacks from companies that won
\ntenders from the commission to supply elections materials.<\/p>\n
State Secretary Yusril Ihza Mahendra said Hamid asked for
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's permission on Monday to
\nattend the fourth round of talks with the Free Aceh Movement
\n(GAM) in Helsinki. The talks are scheduled to begin on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"The President gave him permission because the talks with GAM
\nwere scheduled long before this, while as of today (Monday) the
\nKPK has yet to issue a summons for Hamid,\" Yusril said.<\/p>\n
Hamid is the chief negotiator for the government delegation at
\nthe talks with GAM, which are aimed at ending decades of the
\narmed conflict between troops and rebels.<\/p>\n
The government delegation also include State Minister for
\nCommunications and Information Sofyan A. Djalil and Coordinating
\nMinister for Political, Legal and Social Affairs Widodo Adi
\nSucipto. The delegation is expected to arrive back in Jakarta
\nnext week.<\/p>\n
However, Yusril said the government would respond quickly
\nshould the KPK officially name Hamid a suspect and recommend that
\nthe President suspend him from his Cabinet post.<\/p>\n
Susilo left for Washington on Tuesday to begin state and
\nworking visits to the United States, Japan and Vietnam. He is
\nscheduled to return home on June 3.<\/p>\n
Responding to the imminent investigation into Hamid, Vice
\nPresident Jusuf Kalla expressed his belief that the minister was
\nclean.<\/p>\n
\"The Supreme Audit Agency report on bribery involving KPU
\nissued last month did not mention him, and he quit working for
\nthe KPU last October. In regard to the kickbacks, I have
\npersonally asked him whether he accepted any money and he said
\nno,\" Kalla said during a Golkar Party function in Bandung on
\nSunday.<\/p>\n
\"I believe he did not receive the money,\" the Golkar party
\nleader added about his fellow party member.<\/p>\n
Kalla said that he would leave the matter to the legal system,
\nwhich presumes a person innocent until the courts say otherwise.<\/p>\n
\"As long as a court has not found a citizen, including state
\nofficials, guilty, we have to believe he or she is innocent,\"
\nKalla said.<\/p>\n
He said it was a good sign of progress in the antigraft
\ncampaign that state officials were being named suspects or being
\njailed for graft. He added that such cases would prove to be an
\neffective deterrent.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/more-difficult-times-await-hamid-after-helsinki-trip-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}