The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) finally arrested corruption suspect Anggodo Widjojo, detaining him at the Cipinang Penitentiary in East Jakarta on Thursday evening.
The arrest was made after the KPK declared Anggodo a suspect in an alleged bribery attempt and obstructing a KPK investigation into his brother, Anggoro Widjojo.
Anggoro has fled the country and is currently believed to be in hiding in Singapore.
“After questioning him on several occasions, we finally decided to declare Anggodo a suspect,”
KPK interim leader Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean told a press conference.
He said the KPK would continue to widen its investigation into Anggodo and that it would look to name other people suspects.
“We have two solid pieces of evidence to support the charges. There is the possibility we will name another suspect in this case,” he added.
“As of today, Anggodo is our sole suspect.”
Allegations against Anggodo began to surface after two KPK deputy chairmen, Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah, were charged by National Police with abuse of power, bribery and extortion in the KPK’s investigation of Anggoro.
The KPK has named Anggoro a suspect in a bribery case at the Forest Ministry’s integrated radio communication system project that has seen former legislator Yusuf Emir Faishal sent to prison.
Yusuf is serving a four-and-a-half year term handed down by the Corruption Court last year.
The charges against the KPK leaders were publicly criticized and instead, widespread allegations began to circulate that the charges against the two were fabricated at Anggodo’s request.
Suspicion of Anggodo’s role in the case was strengthened after the Constitutional Court played wiretapped conversations between Anggodo and several senior officers from the National Police and the Attorney General’s Office, including former Assistant Attorney General for intelligence Wisnu Subroto.
The conversations also included mentions of then police chief detective Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji and then deputy attorney general Abdul Hakim Ritonga.
Tumpak said the KPK would need the testimonies of people who had spoken with Anggodo or those who were mentioned in the conversations.
To date, the KPK has summoned Ari Muladi, one of Anggodo’s accomplices, whose name was also mentioned in the recordings, and Anggodo’s friend Eddy Soemarsono, a senior journalist.
Anggodo, who underwent five hours of questioning, said he was confused about the charges against him. His lawyer Bonaran Situmeang complained that the reasons given for his client’s arrest were
not clear.
“He has been cooperative throughout the entire process,” he said.
However, Tumpak said the KPK decided to arrest Anggodo because of concerns that Anggodo would escape or destroy evidence.
A member of the presidential task force to weed out case brokers , Mas Achmad Santosa, said the task force appreciated the KPK’s efforts in Anggodo’s case.
“This is a positive step forward in our fight against the legal mafia.”
