Teti refuses questioning without lawyers<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Teti Nursetiati, wife of the main suspect in the
\nRp 35 billion State Logistics Agency (Bulog) scandal Alip Agung
\nSuwondo, will never attend a hearing with the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR) over the scandal without her lawyers,
\nlawyer Denny Azani B. Latief said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
\"Ibu Teti will give a statement to the House's special
\ncommittee only if we are with her. It's her right,\" Denny told
\nreporters after visiting Suwondo in the detention center at the
\nJakarta Police Headquarters.<\/p>\n
Denny said that the special committee, which was established
\nto investigate the scandal, had no legal basis to force his
\nclient to appear without the presence of her lawyers.<\/p>\n
The committee canceled the planned questioning of Teti on
\nWednesday after demanding that she be questioned alone.<\/p>\n
The committee, which assumed that Teti was trying to hide
\nsomething to protect her husband and some other important people,
\nsaid that they would force her to testify without her lawyers if
\nshe kept refusing to appear for questioning.<\/p>\n
Suwondo, President Abdurrahman Wahid's former masseur,
\nreceived a total of Rp 35 billion from Bulog's employee
\nfoundation Yanatera which was disbursed by Bulog's former deputy
\nchief Sapuan.<\/p>\n
Sapuan insisted that he had given the money to Suwondo after
\nthe latter claimed to have been acting on behalf of the
\nPresident, who wanted Bulog to contribute to a humanitarian aid
\nprogram in the strife-torn province of Aceh.<\/p>\n
It was found later that Rp 10 billion of the amount was
\ndeposited into a bank by Teti.<\/p>\n
Teti, who has returned the money, earlier told reporters that
\nshe only deposited the money given to her by her husband and did
\nnot know where the money had come from.<\/p>\n
Denny said that the committee insisted on questioning Teti
\nwithout her lawyers to lead her to give statements for their own
\npurposes.<\/p>\n
He added that he would send a letter to House Speaker Akbar
\nTandjung to protest against the committee's behavior.<\/p>\n
Denny also said that the members of the special committee had
\ntheir own political agenda in questioning his client.<\/p>\n
\"When we attended the hearing, members of the committee were
\narguing with each other. It was like watching Ketoprak Humor (a
\nlocal TV comedy),\" Denny said.<\/p>\n
Suwondo's lawyer Indra Sahnun Lubis, who spoke to reporters
\nafter visiting his client at the City Police Headquarters, said
\nthat the committee was no longer acting to uphold the law or to
\nfind the truth.<\/p>\n
\"They are using the case to topple the head of the
\ngovernment,\" Indra said. (jaw)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/teti-refuses-questioning-without-lawyers-1447893297",
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