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uspended antigraft deputies Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah have denied accusations made by police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri to parliament late Thursday that they abused their power and took bribes.

"In response to the police chief's statement, I declare that I never accepted money, directly or indirectly, from Ari Muladi or Yulianto or anyone else that might come up *in the case*," Bibit told the press Friday.

At the hearing with the House of Representatives' Commission III on legal affairs, Bambang accused the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairmen of receiving Rp 6 billion (US$640,000) in bribes and abusing their power in imposing and then lifting travel bans on graft suspects.

Chandra stressed he was not acquainted with Ari, whom the police allege was the middleman in channeling the money from graft suspect Anggoro Widjojo (who has fled to Singapore) to the KPK deputies.

"The first time I saw Ari's face was today, on the TV," Chandra said.

"I don't know him and have never met him before."

He added neither had he ever met with Yulianto or Edi Sumarsono, whom the police claim played key roles in the alleged bribery.

Ari has since revised his testimony. His lawyer, Sugeng Teguh Santoso, said Ari was coerced into testifying that handed over the money to Chandra and Bibit.

"The *previous* testimony was made under pressure, and without his legal counsel present," he said.

Public demand has soared for police to arrest Anggodo Widjojo, Anggoro's younger brother, following the playing Tuesday at the Constitutional Court of wiretapped recordings of conversations between Anggodo and several people - implicating National Police chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji, Deputy Attorney General Abdul Hakim Ritonga and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono - to frame the KPK deputies.

A presidential fact-finding team has recommended police arrest Anggodo and suspend Susno.

However, the police claim there is scant evidence to arrest Anggodo.

"We're still collecting information from him," said police spokesman Brig. Gen. Sulistyo Ishak. "We can't just name him a suspect without sufficient evidence."

Susno and Ritonga have both resigned following the broadcast of the recordings. However, legislators asked Bambang on Thursday to turn down Susno's request to quit.

The apparent support for the graft-addled Susno, said University of Indonesia political expert Arbi Sanit, was a clear indication the legislators were "using the hearing as a stage for the police to voice their own opinion".

"They didn't probe the police with more straightforward or substantial questions," he said.

"It's possible the legislators don't know the issue because they're rookies, or Susno managed to charm them so much that they lost their sense of rationality."

Commission III deputy chairman Fahri Hamzah, from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), denied that legislators were siding with the police.

Asked why Susno had not been grilled about his decision not to arrest Anggoro when he met with him at the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, Fahri said his excuse was solid.