TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
Police clear Susno, citing no evidence of graft
The National Police says Chief detective Comr
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
T
he National Police says Chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji is “clean”, claiming there was no evidence of conflicting interests in his investigations of two suspended KPK deputies.
Investigators found no indication of Susno's involvement in graft in his mediation of a dispute between Bank Century and Budi Sampurna, Police inspector general Comr.
Gen. Jusuf Manggabarani said Wednesday.
“Our initial investigations have found no indications of his involvement in bribery in carrying out the mediation,” Jusuf said.
“Allegations that Susno took a bribe in issuing the recommendations on Budi Sampurna's funds in the bank are not proven.”
Susno was questioned on Monday by the police inspectorate general, to follow up recent reports from the lawyer team of two suspended KPK deputy chairmen, Bibir Samad Rianto and Chandra Hamzah.
Earlier, activists and corruption watchdogs said the criminalization of the two deputies had been Susno's way of seeking vengeance against the commission, after he was wiretapped by the KPK during its probe into the Bank Century graft case.
The activists said Susno intervened with the questioning of the two deputies, and that police had functioned as “lawyers” for fugitive Djoko S. Tjandra, who Bibit and Chandra had once imposed a travel ban on. Djoko was previously the president of PT Era Giat Prima, a partner company of the liquidated Bank Bali. They also urged the police chief to suspend Susno and have him undergo an independent investigation.
The police's backing of Susno has sparked strong protests from the KPK deputy's lawyers, who say they were not asked to testify in the Susno questioning sessions.
With the result of the probe, Susno will remain in his current position as chief detective, Jusuf said.
“Susno's status will automatically change and he will be suspended if the KPK names him a suspect in its investigations into the Bank Century graft case,” he said.
Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) has asked the newly appointed KPK leaders to investigate the Bank Century scandal to find out the whether Susno was guilty or not.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Anticorruption Society (MAKI) also reported Susno to the National Police leadership and the President on allegations of power abuse during his mediation between Bank Century and Budi Sampurna, who had attempted to retrieve his US$18 million in savings at the bank.
Ahmad Rivai, a lawyer for the suspended KPK deputies, said his side would seek a second opinion on Susno's alleged interference in the criminalization of his clients.
Ahmad said he was suspicious that the general inspectorate could not maintain its impartiality in questioning Susno in his position as chief detective.
“I will seek a second opinion immediately from the National Police Commission regarding the result of the early investigation,” he said.
Ahmad also called on the inspectorate to look into his recent report on the meeting between Susno and graft fugitive Anggoro Wijoyo in Singapore.
“Susno must be questioned and suspended because he did not arrest Anggoro, even though he and all provincial police chiefs knew Anggoro was barred from leaving the country,” he said.
