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.