After refusing to honor a Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) summons last week, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) chief patron Hilmi Aminuddin showed up on Tuesday at the antigraft body's headquarters to give his testimony in a graft case involving former party chairman Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq.

In the investigation, Hilmi had to answer questions about the Rp 15 billion (US$1.5 million) he allegedly received from Luthfi's aide Ahmad Fathanah, a key suspect in the case.

Speaking after his questioning session, Hilmi denied all accusations.

'I don't know [about the money],' he told reporters while being encircled by a throng of his bodyguards.

Hilmi also denied the allegation that Ridwan Hakim, his fourth son, served as a go-between in the
import beef scandal.

Hilmi, however, confirmed that KPK investigators played a wiretapped conversation between his son and Fathanah.

'The investigators played all of the recording, but they [KPK investigators] were all just bluffing,' he said, declining to give details of the conversation.

Hilmi's lawyer, Zainuddin Paru, denied that Ridwan was involved in the recorded conversation.

'Fathanad said [in the recording] that he had talked to Ridwan about the matter and so on,' he said without elaborating.

Zainuddin also maintained that Hilmi did not know Fathanah and that he had never met the individual.

'Even when the KPK investigators said that it was Fathanah's voice [in the recording], Hilmi failed to recognize it,' he said.

KPK chairman Abraham Samad earlier said that Hilmi knew Fathanah personally.

The Tuesday questioning of Hilmi was marred by a brawl between reporters and several people reported to be his bodyguards who tried to block access for journalists.

A fist fight broke out between the two sides before the KPK security guards and police personnel intervened.

Both the PKS and the KPK regretted the incident, with the antigraft body saying that it would improve the security at its headquarters to ensure the safety of journalists.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi said that the incident had prompted the KPK to evaluate its policy regarding how many personal security guards of graft suspects or witnesses would be allowed to accompany them.

Hilmi's questioning came on the heels of the largest Islamic political party's attempt to undermine the KPK's efforts to investigate the import beef scandal, which has implicated many of the party's senior members.

Over the weekend, the PKS conducted a two-day high level meeting, in which the party's central executive board and the board of patrons decided to file a complaint against 10 KPK investigators and Johan for defamation, to the National Police on Monday.

The leadership of the PKS said that Johan had tarnished the party's image by saying that the party had been uncooperative during an incident last Monday when investigators attempted to seize six cars parked at the party's headquarters.

The KPK investigators failed to confiscate the cars, believed to be purchased by Luthfi with his ill-gotten money, as they were interrupted by the PKS officials.

KPK deputy chairman Busyro Muqoddas said that the antigraft body would throw their support behind Johan, saying that the PKS was trying to criminalize the spokesman.

'It is Johan's right as a spokesman to say that. He has never been vulgar and rude in his words when dealing with sarcasm and cynicism from PKS members,' he said.

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