Urip denies taking bribe but judges don't buy it

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 06/12/2008 10:18 AM  |  National

State prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan insisted Wednesday the US$660,000 cash he received from defendant Artalyta Suryani was a personal loan, but he seemed unable to convince the panel of judges.

LOOK WHO’S TALKING: Defendant Artalyta Suryani whispers to her lawyer OC Kaligis during her trial at the Corruption Court in South Jakarta on Wednesday. The court heard the testimony of prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan, who is accused of receiving a US$660,000 bribe.(JP/Ricky Y.)

In his much-awaited first appearance since his arrest last March, Urip told the court he borrowed the money from businesswoman Artalyta to start an auto repair business.

"I have known her since 2003. We are friends," the prosecutor said as he testified for the defense at the Corruption Court.

The statement contradicted his previous account after his arrest by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). At that time, he said the money was for a gemstone business.

The court heard the wiretapped cell phone conversations between Urip and Artalyta, in which the two arranged a meeting for the money transfer.

Urip denied talking to Artalyta.

"I don't know (whose male voice it is), and I don't know who the woman is either," he said of the recorded conversations.

The panel of judges, who had previously heard Artalyta's confession about her conversations with Urip, repeatedly warned the witness to tell the truth.

"Stop pretending, you're not fooling the panel of judges," the presiding judge Mansyurdin Chaniago told Urip.

Urip was arrested by the KPK for receiving the suspected bribe from Artalyta on March 2, 2008. The bribe was allegedly related to his position as the leader of an Attorney General's Office team investigating the alleged embezzlement of Bank Indonesia liquidity support (BLBI) funds involving tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim.

Sjamsul, former director of Bank Dagang Nasional Indonesia, was suspected of misappropriating Rp 28.4 trillion in BLBI funds.

The KPK prosecutors said Artalyta, who is believed to have a good relationship with the tycoon's family, was helping to gather information from Urip about the investigation.

Artalyta had organized a meeting between Urip and Sjamsul's wife, Itjih, on Dec. 6, 2007. According to the conversation recorded that day, Artalyta told Urip to "offer her help for the case ... and say that this is a good chance".

In a conversation taped on Feb. 27, 2008, Artalyta called Urip to ask about how the case was developing. Urip responded he "had secured all things in accordance with (her) wishes".

The latter dialogue occurred only one day before the AGO dropped the investigations into Sjamsul and another tycoon, Anthony Salim, citing a lack of evidence.

Covert listening, or bugging, is permitted under the law on the KPK, and has helped the graft body in conducting investigations when evidence was difficult to find.

In previous hearings, the prosecutors unveiled Artalyta's links to three other top officials at the AGO: former deputy attorney general for special crimes Kemas Yahya Rahman, former director of special criminal investigations Muhammad Salim and current deputy attorney general for state administrative crimes Untung Uji Santoso.

Kemas and Salim were removed from their positions shortly after Urip's arrest.

The presiding judge adjourned the trial until next week. (dre)

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.