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)