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AKARTA: Former law and human rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra, who has been named a suspect in a graft case linked to a government online registration system for legal bodies, has requested President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono testify on his behalf.

Yusril’s spokesman, Jurhum Lantong, said, as quoted by Antara, that he had met with Cabinet Secretary Dipo Alam to talk about the request. “[The case] is no longer a legal matter. This has gone political,” he said.

Yusril is accused of having played a role in embezzling non-tax state revenue from the Law and Human Rights Ministry’s online registration system, known as Sisminbakum, which he established in 2001. The system was jointly run by the ministry and PT Sarana Rekatama Dinamika, which took 90 percent of the profits.

Two years after the inception of Sisminbakum, the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) declared that the ministry’s income from the system was illegal because it was not listed as non-tax income, thus causing losses to the state.

Jurhum said that Yusril was not asking the President to interfere in the legal process, but he could clarify whether or not the profits from the Sisminbakum should be categorized as non-tax state revenue. Dipo Alam would forward the request to Yudho-yono, Jurhum said. — JP