G

raft and money laundering convicts Akil Mochtar and Anas Urba-ningrum have stirred up controversy again at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) detention center.

Just two weeks after their visiting-ban was lifted on Nov. 9, the two inmates face a similar sanction for insulting a KPK detention center warden.

KPK spokesman Priharsa Nugraha said that Akil, a former Constitutional Court chief justice who became notorious for his arrogant conduct during his nearly four-month trial, and Anas '€” a former Democratic Party chief who always portrays himself as the victim of '€œjustice cruelty'€ '€” had insulted a KPK warden in a protest letter sent to detention center officials.

The spokesman said that every graft detainee had the right to submit complaints, but that the letter, which was signed by Anas and Akil, contained insults aimed at the warden. '€œWe found the content of the letter very insulting,'€ Priharsa said without providing details about the letter'€™s contents.

For their '€œinsulting'€ letter, both could be denied visits for another 30 days.

'€œAccording to the Law and Human Rights Ministry regulation on detention center rules, what they have done is considered a serious violation,'€ Priharsa said, referring to the ministry'€™s regulation No. 3/2013 on detention center regulations.

The recent incident is Anas'€™ second violation since being sentenced to eight years in prison in September.

For Akil, it is his third incident since the Jakarta Corruption Court handed him a life sentence in July.

Anas'€™ lawyer, Adnan Buyung Nasution, accused Priharsa of spreading the lies, saying '€œit was purely a complaint letter'€. The letter was reportedly written by Anas after receiving what Buyung called '€œunfair treatment'€ inside the detention center.

'€œA graft detainee still has rights. He or she has the same rights as every other citizen. Why on earth is someone sanctioned after expressing his desires in a letter? This is unacceptable,'€ Buyung told reporters at KPK headquarters.

'€œAnas and other detainees used the letter to air grievances like being forbidden from doing morning exercise or reading more than five books. Even in the communist system, detainees were allowed to read more than five books,'€ Buyung said.

Buyung said that although all 22 detainees at the KPK detention center had signed the letter, only Anas and Akil had been singled-out.

Akil'€™s lawyer, Adardam Achyar, could not be reach for comment as of Wednesday night.

During a raid in mid-October, the antigraft body found cell phones and WiFi modems hidden inside Akil and Anas'€™ cells. A ban on visitors for the two detainees was subsequently imposed for 30 days.

Over the Idul Fitri holiday last August, Akil grabbed headlines after getting into a fight with another graft detainee, suspended Bogor regent Rachmat Yasin.

Akil was found guilty of accepting some Rp 57 billion (US$ 4.7 million) in bribes to fix 10 local election disputes. He was also found guilty of laundering Rp 180 billion; Rp 160 billion during his term at the court and Rp 20 billion while serving as a member of the House of Representatives, representing the Golkar Party.

Meanwhile, Anas was sent to jail after for accepting Rp 94 billion and $5.2 million during his tenure as a lawmaker at the House from 2009-2010.

'€” JP/Haeril Halim