KPK official admits to twice meeting Nazaruddin

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman for enforcement Brig. Gen. Ade Rahardja admitted that he had met before with fugitive graft suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin.

Ade, who previously denied ever meeting Nazaruddin, said he had met the former Democratic Party treasurer at least twice. The first encounter, he said, was in January last year, after attending a working meeting at the House’s law commission.

“He approached me and asked me to meet him outside,” he was quoted as saying Tuesday by news portal tribunnews.com.

Ade said that in the first meeting, Nazaruddin had asked him to halt an ongoing investigation into graft suspect Syafii Ahmad. “But I refused to do it,” he said.

Ade added that Nazaruddin made a similar request in late 2010 only this time for another graft case. “But again I refused to help him,” he added.

Ade said he picked up the bills at the meetings, which were conducted in restaurants.

Ade acknowledged that should have been aware of Nazaruddin’s intentions from the start and so not agreed to the meetings.