Hotman Denies Febrie Adriansyah Received Money from Tan Kian

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The lawyer for former Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Jampidsus) Febrie Adriansyah (FA), Hotman Paris Hutapea, has denied that his client received money from property entrepreneur Tan Kian. “Regarding whether it is true that Tan Kian gave him more than Rp50 billion? The answer is no. Regarding money, there is none,” he said during a press conference at the Jampidsus building of the Attorney General’s Office (Kejagung) in Jakarta on Friday. He made the statement after Febrie was questioned by Kejagung investigators as a suspect in a case of alleged corruption and money laundering (TPPU) in the handling of the PT Asabri case by state officials during the 2020-2024 period. The suspect status was determined by National Police investigators before the handling of the case was transferred to the Kejagung. “If he was the briber, why is he not a suspect now? Why is it the Jampidsus, with such a high position in law enforcement, who directly becomes a suspect?” he said. Furthermore, he mentioned that the 12 judges who adjudicated the PT Asabri corruption case up to the judicial review stage never questioned the status of Tan Kian, who was a witness. The lawyer also claimed that Tan Kian had no connection to the PT Asabri corruption case. He said Tan Kian’s involvement was solely in an operational cooperation agreement with one of the suspects in the Asabri corruption case, namely Benny Tjokrosaputro. “Benny Tjokro had land, he made a KSO with Tan Kian. So, it was a cooperation. Regarding the land, it was not Asabri’s land, but Benny Tjokro’s personal land,” he said. He added that the land had been confiscated by the prosecutor’s office and had been auctioned. Thus, no money from the Asabri corruption was enjoyed by Tan Kian. Previously, Polda Metro Jaya stated that it had examined Tan Kian in the investigation process of three alleged corruption and money laundering cases, one of which relates to the handling of the PT Asabri case by state officials for the 2020-2024 period. Polda Metro Jaya Head of Public Relations, Commissioner Budi Hermanto, said that Tan Kian was among the 15 witnesses who had been examined. “We inform you that the examination earlier, including the 15 witnesses we examined for their statements, one of them was that person (Tan Kian). So, the person concerned is still a witness,” he said. Meanwhile, the Kejagung issued investigation warrants after receiving the transfer of three cases from the National Police as a form of law enforcement synergy. First, warrant number 43 for the alleged corruption and money laundering case at PT KNI. Second, warrant number 44 for the alleged corruption case in coal governance at a coal-fired power plant which allegedly triggered a blackout. Lastly, warrant number 45 related to the alleged corruption and money laundering case in the handling of the PT Asabri case.