Mulyana's arrest a trap: Lawyers<\/p>\n
Eva C. Komandjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) defended on Sunday
\nthe arrest of General Elections Commission (KPU) official Mulyana
\nW. Kusumah accused of trying to bribe a civil servant, as his
\nlawyers claimed their client was trapped into bribery.<\/p>\n
Mulyana, also a noted criminologist and human rights activist,
\nis now being detained at Central Jakarta's Salemba Penitentiary
\nafter being nabbed in a hotel on Friday during a meeting with the
\ncivil servant from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).<\/p>\n
The arrest occurred when the KPK's was looking into the
\nalleged misuse of some Rp 301 billion from last year's general
\nelection funds, which were being audited by the BPK.<\/p>\n
Eggi Sudjana, one of Mulyana's lawyers, told The Jakarta Post
\non Sunday his client was invited to meet the civil servant,
\nidentified as Oeriansyah, the BPK head of the sub-commission in
\ncharge of auditing the KPU funds, in a hotel in West Jakarta area
\nat 8 p.m. on Friday.<\/p>\n
\"Mulyana did not bring any money with him. When he entered the
\nhotel room, the money was already there in the form of Rp 50
\nmillion (US$5,550) in cash and four travelers cheques worth Rp 25
\nmillion each. How could the KPK accuse him of bribery if he did
\nnot bring any money?\" he said.<\/p>\n
Eggi said Mulyana and Oeriansyah had not begun to discuss
\nanything, when KPK members suddenly barged into the room and
\narrested Mulyana while presenting an arrest warrant.<\/p>\n
\"How could the KPK prepare an arrest warrant, when they said
\nthey caught Mulyana red-handed attempting to bribe a civil
\nservant?\" the lawyer questioned.<\/p>\n
\"The meeting was just a trap set by the KPK and BPK to
\napprehend my client. It is not allowed under the Criminal
\nProcedures Code,\" Eggi argued.<\/p>\n
He said he praised KPK's efforts in fighting corruption and
\narresting people involved in the crime, but slammed the way the
\ncommission nabbed Mulyana.<\/p>\n
\"I will submit a request for a pre-trial hearing against the
\nfalse procedures used to arrest my client,\" Eggi said.<\/p>\n
Separately, deputy KPK chairman Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas
\ninsisted that the arrest did not contravene any legal procedures,
\nsaying his commission has special privileges to investigate major
\ngraft suspects as stated in Article 12 of Law No. 30\/2002 on the
\nKPK.<\/p>\n
Asked to counter Eggy's arguments, Erry declined to comment,
\nbut promised to provide further clarification in a news
\nconference scheduled for Monday.<\/p>\n
Erry said the KPK charged Mulyana with bribery based on Law
\nNo. 31\/1999 on corruption eradication, which carries a prison
\nsentence of between one and five years as well as a fine of up to
\nRp 250 million if the accused is found guilty.<\/p>\n
When asked whether the KPK would follow up the case by
\narresting other KPU members soon, Erry simply said he would wait
\nfor the results of Mulyana's questioning.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, BPK member Baharuddin Aritonang said he had no
\nknowledge of Friday's meeting between Mulyana and Oeriansyah, but
\nadded that Oeriansyah's superior, Hasan Bisri, may have been
\naware of the meeting.<\/p>\n
\"Tomorrow (Monday) we will have a meeting at the BPK office to
\nhear Hasan Bisri's explanation about the meeting,\" Baharuddin
\ntold the Post.<\/p>\n
He refused to reveal whether the BPK had found indications of
\ncorruption in the KPU, saying his office was still investigating
\nthe case.<\/p>\n
The BPK and KPK were working together as a team to uncover
\ngraft cases, Baharuddin added.<\/p>\n
Earlier, a coalition of non-governmental organizations accused
\nthe KPU of involvement in a markup in the procurement of election
\nmaterials that inflicted some Rp 375 billion in losses on the
\nstate.<\/p>\n
It alleged that the KPU spent Rp 204.62 billion, or a 616
\npercent increase in its original budget of Rp 28.5 billion, to
\ndistribute the materials.<\/p>\n
The arrest of Mulyana could taint the reputation of other KPU
\nmembers -- Nazaruddin Syamsuddin, Ramlan Surbakti, Chusnul
\nMar'iyah, Valina Singka Subekti, Anas Urbaningrum, Daan Dimara
\nand Rusadi Kantaprawira as well as Minister of Justice and Human
\nRights Hamid Awaluddin, a former member of the KPU.<\/p>",
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