Rachman faces further claim of hiding wealth

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A little-known state prosecutor has accused embattled Attorney General M.A. Rachman of further irregularities in his wealth report.

Kito Irkamini told journalists on Thursday that Rachman ordered him to buy a Kia Carnival car with just Rp 100 million and a Toyota Soluna sedan with no down payment at all.

"I had to cover the balance for the Carnival purchase myself, but Rachman declared he owed money on the vehicles in his wealth report. He has also yet to repay my Rp 120 million to buy the Soluna," he said.

He was accompanied by three high-profile corruption defense lawyers: Hotma Sitompul, Ruhut Sitompul and Tommy Sihotang.

Kita, who built Rachman's controversial house in Graha Cinere, Depok, claimed Rachman still owed him Rp 1 billion, including Rp 480 million for the house.

"He demoted me to be the head of general crimes division in Sungai Liat prosecutors' office in Bangka-Belitung province, but the post is not vacant," he said.

He promised to reveal everything he knew about Rachman to the Public Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN) officials on Friday.

Rachman is under fire amid corruption allegations and allegations he misreported details in his wealth report to KPKPN, including failing to disclose the luxury house.

In addition to Kito, KPKPN will also interview Rachman's daughter Chairunnisa, a dentist, to clarify details of the ownership of the house.

On Thursday, KPKPN questioned businessman Husain Tanoto who claimed to have bought the Rp 5 billion house from Chairunnisa last January for Rp 950 million in cash.

"But the ownership had yet been transferred from Chairunnisa to Husain, because the former still has to renovate the fences and the staircase," KPKPN official Rudjuan Dartono said.

However, he said, Chairunnisa claimed payment for the house was in form of medical equipment.

"Chairunnisa has to clarify further next Tuesday."

Last week, KPKPN summoned Rachman to explain about the undeclared house.

Rachman said the house had been given to his oldest daughter Chairunnisa who later sold it to Husain Tanoto because she needed money to establish her own medical practice.

A KPKPN investigation team also questioned where funds from two bank accounts were sourced. One account contains Rp 545.6 million and the second US$29,600. The money was deposited in the accounts between 1999 and 2001 while Rachman was still the deputy attorney general for general crimes.

Rachman told the investigation team that some of the money was "thank you notes" from East Java businesspeople.

As pressure mounts on Rachman to step down, top prosecutors at the Attorney General's Office on Thursday expressed support for Rachman.

"We are solid and maintain support for the leadership of Rachman," acting vice attorney general Bachtiar Fachri Nasution said during a press conference.

Also present were deputy attorney general for intelligence Basrief Arief, deputy attorney general for special crimes Haryadi B. Widyasa, deputy attorney general for discipline Ahmad Lopa, deputy attorney general for development Zukri and Jakarta Prosecutors' Office chief Muljohardjo.