Lawmaker, deputy governor arrested for graft

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Fri, 04/18/2008 12:43 AM  |  Headlines

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Thursday detained lawmaker Hamka Yamdu and Jambi Deputy Governor Anthony Zeidra Abidin on charges of receiving misappropriated funds from the central bank.

There was a scuffle at the KPK office in Jakarta as Hamka was being taken to the detention center. An investigator suffered a head injury in the incident, which occurred as investigators attempted to lead Hamka to a waiting car through a scrum of journalists.

"Hamka is being detained at the West Jakarta Police office and Anthony at the East Jakarta Police office," KPK deputy chairman for prevention Moch. Jasin.

He said the two suspects were charged under articles 5 and 11 of the 2001 law on corruption, which carries a sentence of one to five years in prison.

Earlier in the day, KPK spokesman Johan Budi said Anthony and Hamka were officially named suspects last week due to "strong evidence".

Johan said the two politicians from the Golkar Party were questioned for the first time as suspects on Thursday.

"It is possible for the KPK to name more suspects as long as we have enough evidence," he said.

Hamka is a House of Representatives member on the financial affairs commission, while Anthony was a lawmaker on the same commission and is currently Jambi's deputy governor.

The case centers on the misappropriation of Rp 100 billion (US$10.81 million) from Bank Indonesia.

Some Rp 68.5 billion of the money was used to hire lawyers for several former central bank officials, including Iwan R. Prawiranata and Paul Sutopo, who were all convicted in the swindling of Indonesian Banking Liquidity Assistance (BLBI) funds.

The remaining Rp 31.5 billion was allegedly distributed to several financial affairs commission members during the House's amendment of the law on the central bank during 2003 and 2004.

On Jan. 25, 2008, the KPK named BI legal affairs director Oey Heoy Tiong, former BI communications bureau (now head of the central bank in Surabaya) Rusli Simanjuntak and BI governor Burhanuddin Abdullah as suspects in the same case.

Previous KPK questioning revealed that Rusli gave Rp 31.5 billion to Anthony and Hamka.

The anti-graft body suspect money was also disbursed to some or all of the other 11 lawmakers on the same commission.

On Feb. 27, the KPK staged a case reenactment at Anthony's house in South Jakarta and at the Sultan Hotel about the chronology of the alleged disbursements.

Both Anthony and Hamka have insisted on their innocence.

Anthony's lawyer Maqdir Ismail said Thursday his client would continue to be cooperative and attend all of the questioning sessions although he was ill.

"My client will clarify everything based on facts and he hopes that his explanations can help resolve the case," he said at the KPK office. (ewd)

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