Key witnesses, suspects should be granted protection: Experts

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Tue, 11/10/2009 12:23 PM  |  Headlines

The government would be unable to reveal the truth behind the scandal allegedly involving the police, the Attorney General's Office and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) if the Victim and Witness Protection Agency (LPSK) did not protect its key witnesses, experts said Monday.

The head of the Indonesian Foundation for Legal Studies, Frans Hendra Winata, said the agency should protect Ari Muladi, a witness and suspect in a bribery case involving KPK deputy chairmen, Bibit Samad Riyanto and Chandra M. Hamzah.

Frans said Ari risked his life after retracting his statement to the police that he handed over money from businessman Anggodo Widjojo allegedly to bribe Bibit and Chandra.

Ari said he gave the money to Yulianto, reportedly another middleman, whose whereabouts remain unknown.

The LPSK's head Abdul Haris Semendawai said the agency would not protect Ari because he was also a suspect.

The 2006 Victim and Witness Protection Agency Law stipulates that the agency must provide full protection to witnesses or victims of criminal acts.

Bibit and Chandra are accused of extorting and receiving bribes from Anggoro Widjojo to halt an investigation into a graft case implicating his company, PT Masaro Radiokom, as well as influencing public opinion on their case.

Anggoro gave the money allegedly used to bribe the KPK deputies to his brother Anggodo, who then gave it to Ari.

Anggoro is the owner of PT Masaro Radiokom, a telecommunications contractor for the police, the military and the intelligence agency.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has established a fact-finding team to help deal with issues arising from the case.

The fact-finding team chairman Adnan Buyung Nasution said Ari was the only witness who knew where the money went - whether to a KPK official Ade Raharja, or to Yulianto - before Bibit and Chandra allegedly received it.

Ari had said he gave the money to Ade, then retracted his statement and said he gave it to Yulianto.

Frans said the LPSK said it had to coordinate with law enforcers to provide Ari with legal protection.

He recommended that law enforcers relocate him to an undisclosed location until conditions were conducive to his testifying without any possible intervention.

His location should be secure and secret until he was ready to testify, he said.

"This is the agency's job. It should protect the lives of Ari and his family. There are a lot of threats from his enemies and vested interests from political parties,"he said.

Wiretapped recordings played at the Constitutional Court allegedly involved a conversation between the agency's deputy chairman, Ketut Sudairsa, and Anggodo Widjojo. It also is said to have revealed that Anggodo had asked Ketut to grant protection to Anggoro, who was being investigated by the KPK.

Ketut allegedly told Anggodo he needed to meet Anggoro in person in Singapore, where Anggoro is believed to be. Ketut also allegedly told Anggodo the KPK was "not a problem", in ensuring Anggoro's protection.

University of Indonesia criminologist Adrianus Meliala was of the opinion that Ketut had overreached his authority. (nia)

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