Mulyana says Hamid not involved in bribery case
Mulyana says Hamid not involved in bribery case
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Mulyana W. Kusumah, in a statement issued from prison, has
cleared Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin, a
former official of the General Elections Commission (KPU) of any
involvement in the decision to bribe a state auditor.
Mulyana made the statement one day after he said that the move
to pay the bribe was a collective decision by the KPU.
In his statement titled A Note From Salemba Penitentiary on
April 16, 2005, read out by his daughter on Saturday, Mulyana
said Hamid had not been involved in any way whatsoever in the
decision to bribe a Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) auditor.
There was no communication at all with him regarding (the
bribery), the statement said.
Mulyana came to Hamid's defense following intensified calls
for the suspension of the minister, and one day after Mulyana
announced that the bribery was indeed a collective decision made
by the election commission.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla had given his assurance that Hamid
would be suspended if the latter was declared a suspect in the
corruption case.
Along with other KPU top brass, Hamid had been linked in the
bribery case aimed at influencing audit results involving
trillions of rupiah of last year's general election funds managed
by the KPU.
Hamid was in charge of the provision of voter cards with the
total procurement valued at some Rp 18 billion (US$1.89 million).
In the case report made by the Corruption Eradication
Commission (KPK), whose investigators caught Mulyana red-handed
paying a bribe in a hotel room and arrested him on April 8, there
are only three other KPU officials named by Mulyana who were in
charge of procuring logistical materials.
The three are Chusnul Mar'iyah, Daan Dimara, and Rusadi
Kantaprawira, all of whom supervised the procurement of materials
and services such as technology and information, registration
forms and ink.
In the press release, as quoted by detik.com, Mulyana also
lashed out at other KPU members accusing him of corruption and
reminded them of the principle of presumption of innocence.
He also expressed the wish that the KPK would grant his
request to be release from detention to allow him greater access
to medical treatment. Mulyana's lawyers and children have said
that Mulyana has had a cough and asthma during his detention
period.
The KPK has so far named only one suspect, and interrogated
other KPU officials for several days, including secretary-general
Sussongko Suharjo and treasurer Hamdani Amin.
No decision has been reached yet as to whether or not the KPK
will question minister Hamid.