Police start investigating Rachman's corruption case
Police start investigating Rachman's corruption case
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Police started questioning on Thursday members of the Public
Servant's Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) as witnesses in an
inquiry into allegations of corruption involving Attorney General
M. A. Rachman.
Their questioning is the first visible sign that police are
finally investigating Rachman's corruption case reported by KPKPN
in December.
KPKPN members summoned by police as witnesses on Thursday
included Rudjuan Dartono, who led KPKPN's audit team that
examined Rachman's wealth and assets report, Soekotjo Soeparto,
Lili Asdjudiredja, Winarno Zein, and Petrus Selestinus.
Soekotjo said the police summons was actually addressed to
KPKPN chairman Yusuf Syakir, but Yusuf asked the audit team to
answer the summons.
He said the questioning session was aimed at following up
KPKPN's report that Rachman had concealed some of his assets in
his wealth report.
"Our report has become the initial evidence for the police to
disclose the truth over Rachman's wealth report," he said.
"Now the police have started to develop Rachman's case, and
we're glad about it."
According to him, police raised 23 of 40 planned questions for
Rudjuan, while other KPKPN members only accompanied Rudjuan.
"The remainder of the questions will be asked tomorrow
(Friday)," he said.
Meanwhile, Petrus said KPKPN brought a number of documents as
evidence to police during questioning.
The evidence included Rachman's wealth report, testimonies
from former staff of the Attorney General's Office Kito Irkhami,
Najib Attamimi, Husein Tanoto and Suryo Tanoto, he said.
Expert testimony by Afrizal was also presented to police,
Petrus said.
KPKPN reported Rachman to the police in December last year
after the commission found discrepancies between Rachman's wealth
report and its field inquiry.
Rachman, for example, did not list in his wealth report a
luxury house worth around Rp 5 billion located at Jl. Penida 10,
Graha Cinere housing complex in Limo district, Depok, West Java.
The commission also found that the attorney general failed to
clarify the source of his bank deposits that totaled Rp 800
million.
Public demands have grown for Rachman to relinquish his post,
but he has always maintained his innocence.
President Megawati Soekarnoputri, who has the authority to
appoint or remove an attorney general, has refused to dismiss
Rachman, saying that firing him would not resolve the problem and
that the case was politically motivated.