Anas in KPK hot seat once again

Paper Edition | Page: 2

Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum once again maintained his innocence in the alleged graft case surrounding the construction of the Hambalang sports complex in Bogor, West Java.

Anas, who had to answer questions from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators for seven hours on Wednesday, said that he was doing the anti-graft body a favor by giving information related to graft allegations in the project.

“Part of the information I gave to the investigators was whether I had ever met people from PT Adhi Karya. I said that I’d never met them,” he told reporters, referring to the winner in the tender for the sports complex construction project.

Anas also denied that he had given an order to Democratic Party lawmaker Ignatius Mulyono to help liaise with the National Land Agency (BPN) to expedite land clearances for the project.

Anas also considered that answering the KPK summons on Wednesday was part of his civic duty.

“I believe that the information I gave to the KPK will be useful for solving the Hambalang case. The most important thing is we have to support the KPK to solve the case,” said Anas.

Anas was first summoned by the KPK on Wednesday last week.

Former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin, who was convicted for accepting bribes in the SEA Games’ athletes’ village graft case, has repeatedly accused Anas of having been involved in the Rp 1.52 trillion (US$161.12 million) Hambalang project.

Nazaruddin claimed he had helped PT Adhi Karya win the tender for the project through one of his companies, PT Anugrah Nusantara, which he co-owned with Anas.

According to Nazaruddin, Anas played a significant role in the procurement projects for the Hambalang sports complex, including arranging land certificates for hundreds of hectares of land for the project.

Nazaruddin alleged that money from the project was diverted to pay for his campaign for his election as the Democratic Party chairman in a congress in Bandung in 2010.

More than 70 people have been questioned by the KPK, including Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng, whom many considered as playing a greater role in the construction project. No suspects have been named by the KPK.

On Wednesday, the KPK also questioned his driver, Riyadi.

“Yes, he [Riyadi] has been given a summons and came to the KPK,” said KPK spokesperson Johan Budi.

Riyadi had to answer questions regarding Anas’ ownership of a luxurious car, a Toyota Harrier, which according to Nazaruddin, was given by PT Adhi Karya as a gift after the company won the Hambalang tender.

Hidayat, an employee of Yulianis, a former finance director at one of Nazaruddin’s companies, supported the claim.

Testifying in a trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court, Hidayat said he was assigned to take the car to Anas’ house in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta. Hidayat claimed that he delivered three cars in total to Anas’ house. In addition to the Harrier, Anas also received the delivery of a Toyota Alphard and a Toyota Camry.

Earlier on Wednesday, an executive of the Democratic Party, Ramadhan Pohan, called on the KPK to stick to the law when investigating Anas and not base its prosecution of Anas on rumors and hearsay.

“I hope everything is going to be alright [for Anas],” he said.

Democratic Party spokesperson Andi Nurpati said that the party was bracing itself for the worst, including the KPK’s decision to name Anas as a suspect.