T

he panel of judges at the Jakarta Corruption Court rejected on Thursday the defense statement of former Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum and ordered the trial of his bribery and money-laundering case to continue.

'€œWe reject Anas Urbaningrum'€™s defense statement and order prosecutors to continue the trial,'€ antigraft judge Haswandi said on Thursday.

The judges instructed that the trial continue despite dissenting opinions by two members of the panel, Slamet Subagyo and Joko Subagyo, who questioned the Corruption Eradication Commission'€™s (KPK) authority to prosecute a money-laundering suspect.

'€œKPK prosecutors do not have any authority in prosecuting money laundering [suspects],'€ judge Slamet said of his dissenting opinion, which supported Anas'€™ argument in his defense statement.

Anas said that he respected the judges'€™ decision, but that the dissenting opinions indicated that the panel was in '€œdoubt over its decision'€.

'€œAlthough I crafted my defense statement carefully based on legal facts, I respect the judges'€™ decision,'€ Anas said.

Anas will appear in court next week, when KPK prosecutors will present witnesses to testify.

Anas has been accused of amassing Rp 116 billion (US$9.7 million) and $41,295 in fees from rigging a number of state projects, of which he allegedly spent around Rp 97 billion to finance his bid for the Democratic Party chair, while the remaining Rp 20 billion was reportedly spent on buying plots of land in Jakarta and Yogyakarta to conceal the source of the illicit funds.

Anas claimed that the charges against him were politically motivated and that the KPK had bowed to pressure from the Democratic Party chairman and President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who he said pressured the antigraft body to name him a graft suspect during an internal party power struggle.

Anas said that on Feb. 4, 2013, Yudhoyono had pressured the KPK into taking concrete steps to resolve '€œlegal issues'€ implicating Anas.

In his 30-page defense statement, Anas also recalled how Yudhoyono, then speaking as chairman of the Democratic Party'€™s central executive board, had said: '€œIf [Anas] is found guilty, then we can accept the fact that he was involved in a wrongdoing. And if he isn'€™t guilty, then we'€™d like to know if this [investigation] has been conducted properly.'€

Anas also added that Syariefuddin '€œSyarief'€ Hasan, another member of the Democratic Party'€™s central executive board, had disclosed that Anas would be named a suspect in the case after meeting with Yudhoyono in Cikeas, West Java, on Feb. 7, just three days after the President had allegedly spoken to the KPK regarding Anas'€™ graft charges.