Oka's arrest: Supremacy of law 'still respected in Bali'

Oka's arrest: Supremacy of law 'still respected in Bali'

DENPASAR, Bali (JP): Bali Corruption Watch chairman Putu
Wiratha said here on Thursday the arrest of former Bali governor
Ida Bagus Oka was evidence that the supremacy of law was now
respected on the island.

"Oka was the most untouchable man in Bali in the past. His
case is a good example that the legal system in Bali is now
working. And the offense he allegedly committed actually involves
only a small amount of money," he said.

"Most Balinese are probably happy to hear about his
detention," Wiratha said about the arrest of Oka on Wednesday.
"Most of his policies did grave harm to the people of Bali."

Oka, who is also a former state minister of population and
chairman of the National Family Planning Board, was officially
detained at Kerobokan prison, some 10 kilometers west of
Denpasar, on Wednesday.

He is accused of involvement in a Rp 2.3 billion scam at the
Yayasan Bali Dwipa, a state-owned foundation set up to raise
funds for sport activities in Bali, when he was governor. Oka was
the founder of the foundation.

About two hours before being taken to the prison at about noon
on Wednesday, Oka was questioned for about two hours at the Bali
Prosecutor's Office.

Urip Trigunawan, one of the state prosecutors who questioned
Oka, said that after answering some 40 questions, Oka was handed
an arrest warrant signed by Sabar Sitepu, the chief of the
prosecutor's office.

Accompanied by his lawyers and his wife Asiawati, Oka, wearing
a batik shirt and a blue hat, was taken to the prison in a KIA
Carnival van.

Urip said the warrant was valid for only 20 days, meaning that
Oka would be released after this time unless the prosecutor's
office renewed the warrant.

According to Urip, Oka is accused of violating articles 1, 28
and 34 (c) of Law No. 3/1971 on corruption. "He is also accused
of violating Paragraph 1, articles 55 and 64 of the Criminal
Code."

According to Wiratha, Oka could receive a life sentence if
found guilty. "His personal belongings could also be seized by
the court."

The 67-year-old Oka was implicated in the fraud case after the
executive director of the foundation, N. Sugiri, told prosecutors
that most of the money involved in the fraud went into Oka's
personal accounts.

Sugiri, who was the prime suspect in the case, has been
detained in Kerobokan since last May.

Oka's three lawyers -- Suryatin Lijaya, Warsa T. Bhuwana and
Nyoman Putra, expressed disappointment over the detention of
their client, claiming that the accusations against Oka were
groundless.

"There is no solid evidence and no witnesses who can confirm
the accusations. Our client has also been very cooperative during
the investigation, so there was no reason to put him behind bars
at this stage of the investigation," Suryatin Lijaya said.

Oka was known to be close with then president Soeharto's
family and associates. He earned the nickname "Mr. OK" from local
human rights activists and environmentalists for approving
numerous controversial projects in Bali proposed by the central
government.

These projects included the Bali Nirwana Resort owned by the
Bakrie family, the Bali Pecatu Graha Resort owned by Soeharto's
youngest son Tommy and the Serangan island megaproject.

Several years ago, Oka's home village of Kesiman threatened to
exile him from the community, a considerable humiliation for a
Balinese, when he approved a controversial project in Padanggalak
Beach, Sanur, a place believed by locals to be sacred.

The village backed down from its threat after Oka canceled the
project. (zen)