KPK presses ahead with graft probe at KPU

KPK presses ahead with graft probe at KPU

Eva C. Komandjaja and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) continued on Tuesday
its investigation into alleged corruption at the General
Elections Commission (KPU), interrogating three KPU officials and
seizing documents owned by declared suspect Mulyana W. Kusumah.

Mulyana, a KPU member who was arrested by KPK investigators
last Friday for allegedly trying to bribe a state official, was
taken from Salemba Penitentiary to his office at the KPU building
on Jl. Imam Bonjol, Central Jakarta, at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.

For about four hours, KPK investigators examined documents in
Mulyana's office, seizing 61 of them believed to contain evidence
of corrupt activities at the KPU.

Mulyana's lawyers Denny Kailimang and Sirra Prayuna were
quoted by Antara as saying that Mulyana explained to KPK
investigators the contents of each of the seized documents during
the four-hour raid.

However, the lawyers refused to tell reporters what kind of
documents had been seized from their client's office, saying that
the contents were highly confidential.

Separately, KPK deputy chairman Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas told
The Jakarta Post that the commission would focus on the bribery
case involving Mulyana before expanding the investigation into
other KPU members.

"There is a possibility that other KPU members will soon be
named as suspects but we have to wait for the results of our
investigation before we can name names," Erry said.

Mulyana, a noted criminologist and human rights activist, was
arrested at a hotel in the West Jakarta area while in a meeting
with an official from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) who was in
charge of auditing last year's general election funds.

According to previous reports, Mulyana was apparently caught
by KPK officers attempting to bribe the BPK official with cash
totaling Rp 150,000 (US$15,800), in an apparent effort to
persuade the auditor to conceal alleged misuse of KPU funds.

The arrest itself remains a matter of controversy, with
Mulyana's lawyers accusing the KPK of setting up their client,
thus violating criminal code procedures (KUHAP). However, the KPK
insists that it has special privileges to investigate major
corruption suspects as stated in Article 12 of Law No. 30/2002 on
the KPK.

Apart from seizing Mulyana's documents, KPK investigators also
questioned three KPU members -- head of the finance bureau
Hamdani Amin, secretary-general Sussongko Suhardjo and a KPU
official named Mubari -- on Tuesday.

The moves came after KPK investigators decided to search
through documents at the KPU office in a determined bid to
discover other evidence on the alleged embezzlement of public
funds.

However, Erry refused to disclose the results of the
interrogation sessions, claiming that he had not yet received
reports from his investigation team.

Meanwhile, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he
supported KPK's efforts in ridding Indonesia of corruption.

"The president supports moves by the KPK in eradicating
corruption from Indonesia. Nobody is immune from the law in this
country," Andi Mallarangeng, the presidential spokesman, told the
press at the State Palace on Tuesday.

Andi said that corruption eradication has been Susilo's top
priority since he took office last year.

"The success of the KPK in eradicating corruption is the
success of the government as well," he said.

Earlier, a coalition of non-governmental organizations accused
the KPU of involvement in markup practices in the procurement of
election materials that caused losses to the state of some Rp 375
billion.