Whistle-blowing prosecutor may face jail for fraud

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The South Jakarta District Court was requested on Thursday to sentence prosecutor Kito Irkhamni to four-months in jail for alleged fraud involving Rp 480 million.

Prosecutor Zaenuddin told the court, presided over by I Dewa Gde Putra, that Kito, who is also a housing contractor, deceived Aty Mulyati in connection with the construction of her house in Cinere, South Jakarta, in 2000.

He said that the defendant violated articles 372 and 378 of the Criminal Code on embezzlement and fraud. The articles carry a maximum penalty of four years in jail.

Late last year, Kito made headlines when he revealed that a property asset belonging to Attorney General M.A. Rachman had not been reported to the Public Servants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN). He said that Rachman had asked him to buy a plot of land in Cinere and to build a house there. Kito said that Rachman still owed him money for it.

Prosecutor Zainuddin said that on Jan. 31, 2000, Kito agreed to build Ati's house in Cinere, South Jakarta, at a cost of Rp 390 million. On the same day, Ati gave him Rp 300 million. The rest was handed over between March and May.

Kito managed to complete only half of the work, said the prosecutor.

On Aug. 6, the defendant asked Ati for another Rp 120 million, but Ati gave him Rp 20 million. Later in the month, Kito received another Rp 70 million from Ati.

The construction of the house, however, was never completed, Zainuddin said.

Kito had earlier told the court that he did not complete the work because the house had been sold by Ati to another party.

Before the case reached court, Kito had made a complaint to the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) following his suspension as a staff member from the office of the deputy attorney general for general crimes. Attorney General Rachman reportedly made the decision because Kito had refused to be transferred to South Sumatra.

The dispute became more intense when Kito disclosed Rachman's house in Cinere, which had not been declared by Rachman in his report to KPKPN.

Rachman was in the media spotlight following Kito's statement, and public demands increased for his resignation. However, Rachman claimed that the house in question belonged to his daughter and had been sold to a businessman.