T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said that it is looking into the possibility of charging disgraced former Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum and his loyalists with obstruction of justice for allegedly threatening a witness not to come to testify at a trial hearing.

Notary public Bertha Herawati claimed to have received a threat through a text message from Anas'€™ supporter but in the end she decided to come to the hearing on Monday.

Bertha is scheduled to testify for her role as the officer that has done the legal works to establish companies for Permai Group, co-founded by former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazarudddin and his former party chairman Anas.

Anas keeps denying co-founding or owning any companies from the group.

'€œIf what the witness said was true, then it is likely a form of obstruction of justice which will bring legal consequence,'€ KPK chairman Busyro Muqoddas told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday,

Articles 21 and 22 of the 1999 Corruption Law on obstruction of justice regulate a maximum 12 years punishment for someone who tries to deter a legal process at the court and an ongoing investigation carried out by law enforcement institutions.

Busyro said that the KPK would question Anas for clarification after it had found valid evidence that the disgraced politician had instructed his loyalist to deliver threat to Bertha.

Anas stands accused of collaborating with graft convict Nazaruddin to collect hundreds of billions of rupiah from granting state projects to PT Permai Group, a company established by the two disgraced politicians to allegedly harbor slush funds. Permai Group has several branch companies.

In addition to the threat, Bertha handed down an official letter to the panel of judges explaining about how she received the threat from Anas'€™ loyalists.

'€œI received a message from Maya Suroso which read '€˜for your safety it is better for you not to come to the court tomorrow'€™. I asked her from who the message came from? Maya said '€˜from AU'€™s group'€™. '€˜If you come to testify they will watch you.'€™'€ presiding judge read Haswandi read out Bertha'€™s letter.

Maya is allegedly the wife of Anas'€™ confidant Mahfud Suroso, who is the president director of PT Dutasari Citra Laras. Nazaruddin accused that Dutasari was one of several other companies affiliated with Anas.

Anas'€™ lawyer Firman Wijaya said that he supported the panel of judges'€™ instruction to provide a tight security for Bertha.

'€œWe are clearly in support of the judges'€™ instruction. From the very beginning we want this legal process to be open, clean and clear,'€ Firman said.