Lawyer says transfers 'sports donations'

Lawyer says transfers 'sports donations'

JAKARTA (JP): Prominent businessmen Prajogo Pangestu and The
Nin King have acknowledged transferring a total of Rp 450 million
(US$56,250) to the account of a sports body in the name of
Attorney General Andi M. Ghalib, their lawyer Denny Kailimang
said on Friday.

Kailimang told The Jakarta Post that Rp 250 million was sent
by Prajogo and the remainder by Nin King.

He explained the funds were transferred to the account of the
Indonesian Wrestling Association (PGSI) in Ghalib's name based on
written requests for donations sent to his clients by the
association's treasurer.

Ghalib was appointed this year to head the wrestling body.

"PBSI treasurer Tahir admitted this morning that he sent faxes
to both of my clients, stating the association was seeking
donations from the two for PGSI's operations," Kailimang said.

The faxes, which did not specify an amount for donations, were
sent to Prajogo on April 9 and March 31 to Nin King, he
explained.

"The association's treasurer asked them to transfer money to
PGSI's account under the name of Andi M. Ghalib at Lippo Bank's
branch in Melawai, South Jakarta," Kailimang said.

He did not account for the remainder of an alleged Rp 1.8
billion transferred to the accounts of Ghalib and his wife in a
charge leveled by the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW).

ICW coordinator Teten Masduki told a news conference on
Thursday, which was coincidentally the Ghalib's 53rd birthday,
that a total of Rp 450 million was transferred to Ghalib's
account by Nin King and Prajogo on April 23 and April 27
respectively.

Although Teten did not disclose the source of the remaining Rp
1.35 billion, ICW alleged different parties transferred the funds
to the accounts of Ghalib and his wife at a national private bank
in Jakarta in 11 transactions from Feb. 12 to May 6.

Teten said that complete copies of the alleged transfers --
which ICW received from an unidentified party -- were handed over
to National Military Police Headquarters for further
investigation. Ghalib remains an active three-star military
general.

The attorney general, who is in Austria on a mission to trace
an alleged $9 billion bank transfer made by former president
Soeharto, said from Vienna that he was considering suing ICW for
slander.

"I'll fight back through legal means because it's already
violated my privacy," he said on the sidelines of a dinner with
the Indonesian community at the Indonesian Embassy in Vienna on
Thursday.

He added that he would examine the case carefully before
taking action.

"I don't want to charge someone without strong evidence,"
Antara quoted him as saying.

The funds, Ghalib speculated, "could be funds donated by
members of the community to PGSI in which, coincidentally, I'm
one of the executive board members".

ICW suspected the transfer was bribery since both businessmen
were under investigation by the Attorney General's Office at the
time.

Ghalib suggested the bribery allegations were spread by people
unhappy with his office.

The former military tribunal prosecutor also questioned
violations of bank rules on confidentiality since information on
his private account was revealed to the public.

Teten told the Post last night that ICW would stand by its
allegations in the event Ghalib sued.

"We have accurate data," he said.

Separately on Friday, National Sports Council (KONI) treasurer
Setya Novanto confirmed that Prajogo and Nin King were regular
KONI donors and contributed Rp 250 million and Rp 200 million
respectively to PGSI's bank account at Lippo Bank.

"Prayogo, for example, said that 15 days ago, Tahir (PGSI
treasurer) phoned and asked him for some money for PGSI. Tahir
later faxed him the account number where he should transfer the
money.

"But he (Prayogo) didn't know who owned the account."

He said he regretted ICW's failure to check the ownership of
the account with PGSI before it made the public disclosure.

PGSI's executive director Endro Sumarjo told the Post he was
unaware of the source of donations to PGSI.

However, he confirmed that PGSI's lone bank account was in the
name of Andi M. Ghalib.

"If we asked for some money from the treasurer, he had to
collect the chairman's signature before he could withdraw the
money from the account," he said. (asa/ivy)