Former deputy attorney general of intelligence Wisnu Subroto denied on Tuesday any involvement in a bribery case, during a hearing in which businessman Anggodo Widjojo stood as the defendant.
Anggodo is on trial for allegedly attempting to bribe Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah, deputy chairmen of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), with Rp 5.1 billion (US$561,000) last year.
The money had allegedly been channeled through a middleman, Ary Muladi, and was paid to drop an investigation into Anggodo’s brother Anggoro Widjojo.
During a landmark hearing last year, the Constitutional Court played a recorded tape containing a wiretapped conversation between Anggodo and several other figures, including Wisnu, detailing an alleged attempt to settle Anggoro’s case by framing the antigraft officials.
“When Anggodo called me, I was trying to help him as a friend,” Wisnu told the Corruption Court.
Wisnu said he had known Anggodo since 2007, from times when he had entertained friends at cafes and hotels.
However, Wisnu said he had never suggested Anggodo should interfere in any investigation.
Wisnu also said he had learned through the mass media of the case of Anggoro, who had allegedly bribed officials to secure a telecommunications equipment procurement by the Forestry Ministry.
“I should emphasize that I was not involved in the case and did not receive a bribe from Anggodo,” Wisnu said.
Following Wisnu’s testimony, Anggodo stepped over to Wisnu’s seat, bowed and kissed Wisnu’s hand.
“I ask for your blessing, so this case will eventually see the light,” Anggodo said to Wisnu.
Former assistant to Wisnu, prosecutor Irwan Nasution, another witness, said last year Anggodo had asked for his help to introduce him to Antasari.
“Anggodo said he wanted to check whether KPK officials had received the money he had sent,” he said, adding that he did not know how much or to whom the funds had gone.
According to Irwan, he refused Anggodo’s request.
Another witness, the former head of the Witnesses and Victims Protection Agency (LPSK), I Ktut Sudiharsa, said four persons, including Ary Muladi and the former chairman of Anggoro’s PT Masaro, Putranefo A. Prayugo, had asked for protection from the agency in July last year. The four claimed to have received threats from several parties, he said.
“At that time Anggoro, through his lawyer Bonaran Situmeang, also asked for protection, but we could not provide it because he was not being investigated at that time,” Ktut said, adding that LPSK officers had planned to meet him in Singapore, but later the plan had been cancelled.
Ktut added that his team had also received calls from the chief of the Financial Transactions Report and Analysis Center, Yunus Hussein, and were visited by KPK officials Bibit and Ade Raharja, requesting that the agency not provide protection to the four. (lnd)
