Whatever the facts, team leaves case in President’s hands

Hans David Tampubolon ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Mon, 11/16/2009 10:43 AM  |  Headlines

The presidential fact-finding team, established to investigate a controversial case involving the top officials at the National Police, the AGO and Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), is set to submit its final recommendations to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Monday.

The team, however, was reluctant to reveal the content of its final recommendations’ to the media.
“The conclusions were generally the same [as our initial recommendations], however, we just finished developing the final recommendations,” team member Anies Baswedan said after an internal meeting at the Presidential Advisory Council office on Sunday.

“In the end, it will be up to the President.”

Anies also hinted that in its final recommendations, the team had not focussed on individuals but on institutions.

“We wanted to prevent a similar debacle from ever taking place again,” he said.

The controversy revolves around an alleged conspiracy between high-ranking officers of the National Police and Attorney Generals’ Office (AGO) to incriminate two KPK deputy chairmen, Chandra M. Hamzah and Bibit Samad Riyanto, by framing them with bribery.

The team said the police case lacked evidence, since there was a missing link between Ari Muladi, who police claim paid bribes to the chairmen, and the chairmen themselves. The missing link is a mysterious “middleman” named Yulianto.

Previously, in its interim recommendations, the team had recommended the case be dropped citing the lack of evidence.

A number of antigraft activists have urged Yudhoyono to follow the recommendations, since it was he who established the team.

Instead, Yudhoyono has so far left the authority to interpret the interim recommendations with the AGO and the police. The National Police remain adamant there is a strong case against Chandra and Bibit.

Another team member, Amir Syamsuddin, told kompas.com news portal that the team would also recommend the Witness and Victims Protection Agency (LPSK) improve its performance.

“The LPSK should protect whistle blowers and avoid any possibility of them being involved in any criminal plans,” he said.

Amir also said the team had yet to recommend any sanctions for LPSK deputy chief Ketut Sudiharsa, who was allegedly involved in a telephone conversation with businessman Anggodo Widjojo, the alleged mastermind coordinating high-ranking law enforcers in the conspiracy to frame the KPK deputies.

Anggodo is the younger brother of Anggoro Widjojo, a fugitive graft suspect of the KPK.

Anies said the team had done its best to complete its duties and should Yudhoyono choose to ignore its final recommendations, it would be up to the public to judge him.

Separately, a number of members of the House of Representatives' law commission told The Jakarta Post that Yudhoyono could find himself scratching his head in following up on the final recommendations.

“Legally speaking, the President has no obligation to obey the team’s recommendations,” said Bukhori Yusuf of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).

“However, he will be morally burdened should he choose to ignore them. I’m sure he will have sufficient wisdom to determine the final outcome.”

Gayus Lumbuun of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) said it would be better for the President to compromise in his final decision.

“I want to suggest the President adopt a combination of follow-up measures. For example, he can give the police and the AGO three months to [find Yulianto]. If they fail to find him, the case should be dropped,” he said.

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