Artalita, Urip not confronted

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 04/04/2008 1:17 AM | National

Businesswoman Artalita Suryani and state prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan were questioned separately Thursday over a recent bribery case involving them.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), however, which is currently investigating the case, did not cross-examine the testimony.

Artalita arrived at the KPK office in South Jakarta around 12 p.m. and left three hours later. Upon her departure, Artalita said the investigators asked her 18 questions but did not go into detail.

"Just ask my lawyer about that," she said.

Artalita also said she was not questioned about Urip's testimony although they were questioned the same day.

Artalita was arrested for allegedly paying a bribe of US$660,000 to Urip, who led a team of prosecutors investigating tycoons Anthony Salim and Sjamsul Nursalim over their possible embezzlement of Bank Indonesia liquidity assistance (BLBI) funds.

Both Urip and Artalita, who were allegedly connected to Nursalim, were arrested at a house in South Jakarta. The arrests were made by the KPK, and came just days after the Attorney General's Office announced a halt to investigations into the BLBI cases involving Salim and Nursalim.

Urip violated his authority as a prosecutor by benefiting from the AGO decision to close the investigation of the BLBI graft case, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji said earlier.

Urip arrived at the KPK office at 10 a.m. and sat for questioning for three hours. He insisted that the money he had received from Artalita was not a bribe.

"We stick by our first statement that the money was a payment for their gemstone business," Urip's lawyer Albab Setiawan said.

The KPK, however, refused to believe the statement.

"It's up to them to say whatever they want, but we have evidence the money had nothing to do with the gemstone business," KPK spokesman Johan Budi said.

Albab also said his client had no knowledge of the relationship between Artalita and former deputy attorney general Kemas Yahya Rahman.

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