T

he Indonesian Police Watch (IPW) does not want the police to investigate a defamation claim filed by Democratic Party secretary-general Edhie “Ibas” Baskoro Yudhoyono.

Ibas, the youngest son of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, filed a report on Wednesday afternoon with the Jakarta Police against Yulianis, who once worked for disgraced former Democratic Party treasurer and lawmaker Muhammad Nazaruddin.

Yulianis alleged that Ibas accepted a US$200,000 bribe from Nazaruddin’s Permai Group. The money allegedly came from state funds in the Hambalang scandal and were used to finance the Democratic Party’s congress in Bandung, West Java, in 2010.

IPW chairman Neta S. Pane said that Yulianis’ statement was given at trial and could not be considered defamation. “She is the key suspect in the graft case, so her statement was made within her capacity as a witness.”

Neta said that the police might end up interfering with the Corruption Eradication Commisssion’s (KPK) investigation if they follow up Ibas’ complaint.

“The police might criminalize the only key witness that the KPK has,” she said as quoted by tribunnews.com.