Ex-minister again seeks temporary release from jail

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 12/14/2006 1:48 PM

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Lawyers for former minister Rokhmin Dahuri, who is being detained as part of a graft probe, on Wednesday submitted a second request with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) seeking his temporary release to attend a seminar in China.

Lawyer Herman Kadir arrived at the KPK's office in Jakarta with a list of prominent names, including Social Services Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah and lawmakers, who he said were ready to act as guarantors that the suspect would not flee justice.

Herman said he hoped the list would convince the commission to reconsider the request to allow his client to travel to China.

Rokhmin, the maritime affairs and fisheries minister during the Megawati Soekarnoputri administration, agreed to speak at a fisheries seminar in China, scheduled for Dec. 16-18, before he was detained.

""There is no reason for the KPK to continue the detention of Rokhmin. All the evidence has been confiscated by the commission. Moreover, as a faculty member at the Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB), he just won't run away,"" Herman said as quoted by Antara.

Herman said he had the names of 78 prominent figures who were ready to guarantee that Rokhmin would return to Indonesia after speaking at the seminar.

In addition to Bachtiar Chamsyah, other people reportedly ready to act as guarantors include lawmakers Agun Gunandjar and Ade Komarudin of the Golkar Party, Drajad Wibowo and Patrialis Akbar from the National Mandate Party, Cecep Syaefuddin from the National Awakening Party, Suharso Moharfa from the United Development Party and M. Kamal from the Prosperous Justice Party.

Members of the Association of Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals, including Marwah Daud Ibrahim and Muslimin Nasution, also are reportedly ready to support Rokhmin, along with noted Muslim scholar Azyumardi Azra.

Twenty faculty members and five postgraduate students from the IPB also reportedly have signed their name to the list.

According to Herman, IPB rector Ahmad Ansori Mattjik similarly assured that Rokhmin would not flee the country, saying the corruption suspect had integrity and credibility as an educator.

The corruption commission has accused Rokhmin of misappropriating Rp 31.7 billion (US$3.4 million) from the Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Ministry's development fund between April 2002 and March 2005.

The off-budget fund reportedly consisted of Rp 12 billion collected from the ministry's regional offices and Rp 19.7 billion from outside sources.

Rokhmin is charged with misusing the money for his own personal gain, including financing his studies for his doctorate. He says the money was used to support fishermen and employees at the ministry.

""It's hard to tell whether Rokhmin used the money for personal needs. What if the money was used to fund the needs of Rokhmin as the minister?"" Herman said.

Rokhmin has been detained in a cell at National Police Headquarters since Nov. 30.

KPK officials are playing down the request to suspend Rokhmin's detention.

""We haven't seen any prominent officials coming to our office to ask for Rokhmin's temporary release. If they did so, maybe we could consider their request,"" commission spokesman Johan Budi S.P. told The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

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