Nasruddin case possibily linked to KPU scandal

Ari Yusuf Amir, lawyer for suspended anti-graft body chief Antasari Azhar, now the main suspect in the murder of Nasruddin Zulkarnaen, said Monday his client's wife Ida Laksmiwati had received many telephone threats from unidentified callers.

They had asked her to have her husband stop investigating several graft cases including the alleged corruption at the General Elections Commission (KPU).

"The unidentified callers mentioned several major cases, including the allegation on graft scandal in the IT procurement at the polling body," Ari told The Jakarta Post.

According to Ari, the callers' voices varied.

"Sometimes it sounded like a male voice, sometimes like a female, Antasari's wife could not recognize the voices and whether the calls were from same person or not."

KPK advisor Abdullah Hehamahua said Saturday that Antasari's wife was once called by a man when she was at a mall some day in January. The man threatened her, telling her to be careful if Antasari continued investigating a corruption case, Abdullah said without mentioning what exactly the case was.

Ari acknowledged after Ida had received several threatening phone calls, Antasari asked KPK staff to track down several phone numbers.

"Antasari didn't know whom the numbers belonged to."

Ari denied that Antasari asked to wiretap the numbers.

Jakarta Police's Detective Chief Sr. Comr. M. Iriawan revealed two of the numbers belonged to Nasruddin and his third wife Rhani Juliani.

The police suspected Antasari had abused the KPK's authority to wiretap people who were not connected to any graft cases.

"If Nasruddin and Rhani were not involved in any corruption case, why did Antasari wiretap them?" Iriawan said last week.

Ari said that it would be better for the police to trace the unknown callers rather than accuse Antasari of misusing the KPK's equipment. (bbs)