KPK requests travel ban for Puteh

KPK requests travel ban for Puteh

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) requested the
immigration office on Friday to slap a travel ban on graft
suspect Aceh Governor Abdullah Puteh so it could investigate him.

The commission is also planning to ask the central bank to
freeze all bank accounts belonging to the governor and request
President Megawati Soekarnoputri suspend Puteh from his post.

A letter requesting the travel ban was sent earlier on Friday,
KPK deputy chairman Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean said.

"We have the authority to take these measures against the
suspect (Puteh) and can ask all the related institutions to
freeze his assets," Tumpak said.

Tumpak was referring to Law No. 30/2003 on the KPK, which
authorizes the commission to order the suspension of a state
official who has been named a suspect, issue a travel ban and
freeze accounts and assets for investigation purposes.

The commission declared Puteh a suspect in the alleged mark-up
in the purchase of a Russian Mi-2 helicopter by the Aceh
administration in 2002, which caused an estimated Rp 4 billion
(US$425,500) in state losses.

On June 30, the immigration office issued a travel ban against
Bram H.D. Manoppo, the director of PT Putra Pobiagan Mandiri, the
company that brokered the purchase of the helicopter. The KPK has
yet to declare Manoppo a suspect but has asked the immigration
office to ban him from traveling abroad over fears he might flee
during the investigation.

The commission is currently preparing a letter asking Megawati
to suspend Puteh as governor, despite efforts by interim
coordinating minister of political and security affairs Hari
Sabarno, who is also the home affairs minister, to keep the
governor in office.

Another KPK deputy chairman, Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas, said
the commission was waiting to see whether Puteh would cooperate
in the investigation.

"We have summoned for him for questioning on July 6. We'll see
whether he is cooperative or not then," he said.

It is common practice for police or prosecutors to put a
suspect deemed to be obstructing an investigation into custody.

KPK chairman Taufiqurrahman Ruki pledged to keep the
commission impartial and independent, despite possible
intervention from other state institutions.

"We don't care about letters, statements or opinions from
others (regarding the investigations). We make our decisions
based on hard evidence," he said.

Hari had earlier sent a letter to the commission asking it to
give "room to Puteh to conduct his duties as the head of the
state of civil emergency in Aceh". The minister also suggested
the KPK question Puteh in Aceh.

A series of alleged graft cases implicating Puteh have
surfaced since the beginning of last year. During the martial law
administration, Aceh prosecutors probed some of the cases but
Puteh remained untouchable.

Lt. Gen. Sudi Silalahi, the former secretary of the
government's martial law monitoring team, has suggested the KPK
investigate 21 alleged graft cases during the one-year martial
law in Aceh.