Attorney General admits no proof of KPK leaders accepting bribes

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 11/09/2009 8:25 PM  |  National

Attorney General Hendarman Supandji admitted Monday that prosecutors had not found any evidence that Corruption Eradication Commission leaders accepted bribes from businessman Anggodo Widjojo.

Hendarman, however, insisted that investigators had secured proof to implicate suspended KPK deputy chiefs Chandra M. Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto for extortion.

“There is no evidence of bribery. But there is other proof to lead us to conclude the violation took place, although we have no adequate evidence of the acceptance of bribes,” Hendarman said after a hearing at the House of Representatives Commission III on legal affairs.

Hendarman said state prosecutors were examining dossiers and evidence submitted by the police. The Attorney General’s Office has to complete the examination by midnight, or else it has to suspend the investigation.

“I will draw up the conclusion along with the Attorney General’s assistant for special crimes, the director for prosecution and the investigators,” Hendarman said.

A police investigation had secured a confession from middleman Ari Muladi, who claimed to have given Rp 5.1 billion (US$542,000) in bribe money from Anggodo to Bibit, Chandra, another KPK deputy chief M. Jasin and other KPK officials. Ari, however, withdrew his testimony later, saying he had handed the money to a man named Yulianto, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

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