The presidential fact-finding team will dig deeper into a wiretapped conversation of National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji allegedly extorting money from a businessman in relation to the Bank Century scandal.
“Century has a tight connection to the cases of the KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission] deputies, but so far it remains a suspicion,” team member Anies Baswedan said after a meeting with suspended
KPK deputy chairmen Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah at the Presidential Advisory Council office Thursday.
Before the two deputies were named suspects for what critics say are trumped-up charges in connection with fugitive graft suspect Anggoro Widjojo, the KPK was reportedly probing Susno’s involvement in the Century case.
The antigraft body had reportedly wiretapped a phone conversation in which Susno demanded a commission from businessman Boedi Sampoerna to release the latter’s deposits stuck in legal limbo at Century.
“We have yet to determine our next step in this matter; we only want to deepen our evaluation,” Anies just.
He added that during the meeting with Bibit and Chandra, the latter acknowledged the existence of the recording, but insisted it had not been obtained for the sole purpose of catching out Susno.
“They said they caught [Susno’s] conversation with a person being wiretapped by the KPK,” Anies said.
Another team member, Todung Mulya Lubis, said the team would also look deeper into the alleged involvement of former forestry minister M.S. Kaban in the bribery case linked to Anggoro.
“We heard about Kaban during a hearing with the KPK and the police [on Wednesday],” he said.
Todung added Kaban’s alleged involvement could be a starting point to evaluate the criminal charges against Bibit and Chandra.
Both deputies were accused of abuse of power, accepting bribes and extorting Anggoro, who was allegedly attempting to halt a investigation into a corruption case involving Anggoro’s company, PT Masaro Radiokom.
The charges against Bibit and Chandra have been widely denounced as an attempt by senior officials at the National Police and the Attorney General’s Office to frame them, upon the request of Anggoro’s brother, Anggodo Widjojo.
Prior to a meeting with the antigraft deputies, the team also met with Anggodo and serving KPK leaders.
The meeting with Anggodo was delayed because the latter would not enter the room until all 12 of his lawyers had arrived, drawing the ire of fact-finding team leader Adnan Buyung Nasution.
Anggodo was already waiting at the third floor of the Presidential Advisory Council.
“Just how great does he think he is?” said an irate Buyung.
“Does he think he can bend the whole country to his fancy?”
Presidential adviser for legal affairs Denny Indrayana tried to appease Buyung by leaving the room to pick up Anggodo.
Anggodo seemed relaxed when entering the room, which was packed with waiting journalists.
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