Ex- junior attorney general denies bribery accusations

Former deputy attorney general Abdul Hakim Ritonga (JP/Dina Indrasafitri)

Former junior attorney general Abdul Hakim Ritonga insists that he has not received bribes from graft defendant Gayus Tambunan, saying that he was not in charge of the investigation when the alleged bribery took place.

Ritonga said that when the letter stating the commencement of the investigation process (SPDP) arrived at the Attorney General’s Office, he had already exited his post as junior attorney general for general crimes. “The SPDP arrived at the General Crimes [unit] in September 2009, which means I had already left that post a month before,” said the prosecutor, who now works as a teacher at the AGO training center.

Former tax official Gayus Tambunan testified Thursday during his own trial that he was once asked by his former lawyer, Haposan Hutagalung, to give money to the then junior attorney general for general crimes (Jampidum).

Gayus said he had already given US$500,000 for the purpose, but Haposan told him that the initial sum was for “the old Jampidum, A.H Ritonga.”

The “new” Jampidum possibly referred to acting Deputy Attorney General for Administrative and State Administrative Crimes Kamal Sofyan Nasution. Kamal has also denied that he knew Haposan or Gayus.

In 2009 Haposan was handling Gayus’ money laundering and embezzlement case. The act of bribery is suspected to be related to the case, in which Gayus was cleared of all charges.

Abdul Hakim said he had never been consulted on the Gayus case.

“I have met Haposan only once, during a personal event,” he said.

Ritonga said that he would wait until the internal and external investigations on Gayus’ statements were complete before he decides to take any steps, such as suing Gayus for defamation.  

Ritonga quit his deputy attorney general post amid accusations that he was linked to a plot to weaken the country’s Corruption Eradication Commission, KPK.