Former aide says Rachman intended to hide wealth

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A former aide revealed on Friday alleged efforts by Attorney General M.A. Rachman to conceal some of his assets before he submitted his wealth declaration to the Public Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) last year.

Kito Irkamini, who was Rachman's subordinate when he was the deputy attorney general for general crimes, said Rachman asked him to help transfer his ownership of a luxury house in Graha Cinere, Depok, into another person's name. Kiko then advised Rachman to assign the title to one of his family members in a bid to circumvent the procedures.

"Pak Rachman later decided to assign the title to the house to his eldest daughter, Chairunnisa, and asked me to arrange it," Kito told reporters after making a statement to the KPKPN team examining irregularities found in Rachman's wealth declaration.

Kito, who had been given the job of arranging the construction of the house, claimed he had no idea why Rachman wanted to have it excluded form his personal assets. The house cost a reported Rp 1.8 billion.

Rachman borrowed Rp 480 million from Kito to finance the project.

In a clarification to the KPKPN, Rachman said the house had belonged to Chairunnisa since July 2001, but his daughter sold it to businessman Husain Tanoto last January for Rp 950 million.

Chairunnisa, who is a dentist, told the inquiry team that she needed money to open a dentistry practice. Husain, she said, had paid for the house in cash and also with medical equipment. But she still had to refurnish the house.

Husain denied Chairunnisa's account, saying he had only paid cash.

A source close to the KPKPN inquiry revealed the existence of a document drawn in December 2001, which Chairunnisa said evidenced the transfer of the title to the house from her father to her. But, the source said, the document also set out Rachman's debt to Kito for the construction of the house.

"And it smells fishy that just several weeks after the document was drawn up, the house was sold at far below market value. I suspect it was an effort by Rachman to conceal his obligation to pay the debt and his relationship with Kito," the source told reporters.

Kito said that Rachman had promised him a reward if he waived the unpaid debt.

Later in the day, the KPKPN team questioned Untung Udji Santoso, the director of investigations at the office of the deputy attorney general for special crimes, over rumors about Suryo Tan -- Husain Tanoto's son -- whom many believe acts as a middleman in the office. Rachman claimed Udji could clarify the rumors.

"There's no middleman in my office ... I don't really know Suryo Tan. I only met him twice. One of the occasions was on Jl. Denpasar," Udji said, referring to Rachman's official residence.