KPK officials agree to witness interrogations

Remaining leaders of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) finally decided to receive the summoning letter in line with the ongoing police investigation into a graft case at communications company PT Masaro Radiokom.

KPK deputy chief Bibit Samad Rianto said in a press conference Wednesday that the KPK leaders accepted the planned questioning in their respect of the law's supremacy.

"But we will not come all together at the same time. We will do it in turns. Thus the directors and the investigators will come Thursday and we will come the following day."

He added KPK's Director of Investigation Iswan Elmi, Legal division chief Chaidir Ismail and two KPK investigators, Arry Widiatmoko and Rony Samtana have been asked to meet the appointed interrogators Thursday morning while he, Chandra Hamzah, Haryono Umar and Muhammad Jasin would come in individually Friday.

KPK Chief Antasari Azhar who was also allegedly involved in the graft case, has been detained and was to go on trial in immediate future for his alleged involvement in the murder of Nasrudin Zulkarnain, president director of PT Rajawali Putra Banjaran.

Bibit acknowledged that the KPK leaders had ignored the police's first summoning letter because it was considered confusing that the letter did not mention legal reasons why they were summoned and what was their status and position in the case.

"We have faced many accusations this time. Thus we need to be more specific with the reasons."

He added there was no political reason behind the early refusal. He said the antigraft body was still investigating the Century Bank scandal to see the alleged involvement of a senior police official in the scandal.

Detective Chief Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji confirmed that the police had made no mistakes in sending the letter because it was in line with the results of police's preliminary inquiry into the case. He stressed that he has ordered his subordinates to send the second summoning letter to the KPK leaders.

"We will give them a chance to clarify the allegation that there are KPK leaders taking bribes from Masaro. And of course, the summons is the right media to clarify the allegation. I am sure they will use this moment to clear things up."

The remaining four KPK leaders will be grilled in line with the confession by Antasari that several KPK leaders received Rp 5.1 billion in back pay from Anggoro Widjojo in his capacity as director of PT Masaro Radiokom.

Eddy Sumarsono and Ary Muladi, who have been detained as suspects, also testified they received the funds from Anggoro and handed them to the KPK leaders via bank transfers.