A wiretapped conversation between Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chief Insp. Gen. Ade Rahardja and suspected case broker Ary Muladi remains a mystery after the Corruption Court could not have it played back as planned Tuesday.
The bugged conversation - if it does exist - could prove defendant businessman Anggodo Widjojo's claim that he bribed KPK leaders through Ary to help Anggodo's fugitive brother Anggoro, who was wanted in a graft case for misappropriating radio equipment for the Forestry Ministry.
Calls from Anggodo's lawyers to present the tape were approved by the Court. But Anggodo's lawyer OC Kaligis argued that "it's the prosecutors' legal duty to bring it to Court even if the request came from us."
But prosecutors insist the defense should have made the tape available because they proposed introducing it into evidence.
"We only have the recordings of Anggodo's conversations played back at the Constitutional Court *in November last year*," Suwarji, a prosecutor, said.
The hearing was adjourned to next week but there was no agreement as to who would bring the tape. The panel of judges said the National Police detective unit should present it.
The issue of the tape was first raised by Comr. Farman, a police investigator in charge of question-ing KPK deputy chairmen Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah on charges of extortion and abuse of power in a case implicating Anggodo.
It was also raised by Attorney General Hendarman Supandji during a hearing with House of Representatives legislators on Nov. 9, 2009. He told the legislators he had "ample evidence" that KPK leaders had received bribes from Anggodo as proved by a bugged conversation between Ary Muladi and Ade Raharja.
"Ary claimed he didn't know Ade and that he visited the KPK only once, but we have evidence that shows he visited the KPK six times and made 64 calls *to Ade*," Hendarman told legislators.
At Anggodo's trial, the tape issue was raised by Suwarji last week. Comr. Farman, who testified under oath, said he was not aware of such a tape.
To further complicate the issue, both Ary Muladi and Ade Rahardja denied having telephone conversations. The KPK, which bugged conversations between Anggodo and law enforcement officials about a conspiracy to frame KPK leaders, also denied it had the recording.News portal detik.com reported that on July 14, National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri met Supreme Court chief justice Harifin Tumpa, telling him the tape did not exist.
But police deny the claims. Thomson Situmeang, another of Anggodo's lawyers, said he had no idea who had the tape.
"The police chief once said he had it, and so did the attorney general. They can find out with other police investigators. I can't imagine the police chief and attorney general would lie about this," he said.
Hendarman refused to comment Tuesday when asked about the whereabouts of the recording.
"I have lots of other business to attend to," he said when pressed about whether he was serious about his statements last year regarding the tape.
Last week, legislator Nudirman Munir of the Golkar Party, urged Hendarman to be honest about the recording and requested he come forward with it if he did have it.
"We will seek further explanation from the attorney general about the tape. He has to make it public if he has it, but if he received the wrong information, he has to say so," he said.
Nudirman said he was certain Hendarman told a hearing last year that he had the recording. (lnd)
