Urip admits meeting Glenn's lawyer

Andreas D. Arditya , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 07/11/2008 10:12 AM | National

State prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan admitted during his graft trial Thursday he had met with Glenn Yusuf's lawyer, Reno Iskandarsyah, allegedly to accept US$90,000 from the latter.

Glenn, former chief of the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency, was a witness in the investigation by the Attorney General's Office into the embezzlement of the Bank Indonesia liquidity support fund. Urip led the investigation team.

"I admit I met Reno at that place," Urip said, referring to a spa and massage center in South Jakarta.

The meeting, which took place on Feb. 13, 2008, was closely monitored and video recorded by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Urip did not specify the reasons for the meeting but he complained about the anti-graft body spying on him.

The $90,000 Urip accepted from Reno was allegedly part of a Rp 1 billion (US$109,000) payment he had requested from Glenn.

Urip allegedly threatened to name Glenn a suspect in the embezzlement case unless the latter gave him the money.

The AGO dropped its investigation, which involved 37 witnesses, at the end of February this year, citing a lack of evidence.

The KPK also alleged that Urip accepted $660,000 and Rp 100 million from businesswoman Artalyta Suryani in connection to the involvement of tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim, another witness in the case.

Artalyta was scheduled to testify at the trial session on Thursday but failed to attend because of health problems. She sent a letter to excuse herself to the court.

Presiding judge Teguh Hariyanto was not convinced by her excuse.

"If in the next session she is absent and files another 'health problems' excuse, I will order the KPK prosecutors to bring in her doctor, not just a letter," the judge said.

Artalyta could face a five-year prison sentence -- the penalty demanded by KPK prosecutors -- if found guilty of bribing Urip.

In Thursday's trial session, the court also heard the testimonies of two KPK investigators, Indro Pranowo and Sugeng Basuki, who were involved in monitoring and detaining Urip.

Urip was arrested on March 2 this year for accepting bribes from Artalyta at her house in South Jakarta. The KPK investigators said they had found $660,000 in cash in Urip's car, shortly after Urip came out of the house.

The KPK recorded the whole process of the arrest, which occurred only two days after the AGO announced it was dropping its investigation into the embezzlement case.

Urip is facing two primary charges for accepting bribes and extortion, thus abusing his powers as a state official. The crimes carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

The court is scheduled to resume the trial next Thursday to hear testimonies from three other KPK investigators and Artalyta.

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