T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) questioned Andika Hazrumy, the eldest son of former Banten governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah, as a witness on Monday in an ongoing probe into a graft case implicating Banten businessman Tubagus Chaeri '€œWawan'€ Wardana, a suspect in the case.

The KPK has accused Wawan, the younger brother of Atut, of laundering hundreds of billions of rupiah embezzled through a number of procurement projects he handled, including for medical equipment in Banten and South Tangerang.

KPK spokesman Priharsa Nugraha said the questioning of Andika, who is a current House of Representatives lawmaker from the Golkar Party, was necessary as the antigraft body alleged that several of his assets were derived from Wawan'€™s money-laundering activities.

'€œThe questioning is aimed at gathering information on the witness'€™ [Andika] assets that allegedly originated from funds of PT Bali Pacific Pragama [PT BPP], which is owned by the suspect [Wawan],'€ Priharsa said on Monday.

Speaking to reporters after being questioned for an hour, Andika denied allegations that some of his assets were a result of Wawan'€™s wrongdoings, saying that he knew nothing about Wawan'€™s business activities, including those related to PT BPP.

'€œI told the KPK investigators that I didn'€™t know whether the assets were related to the alleged money laundering,'€ Andika said on Monday at KPK headquarters in South Jakarta.

In its ongoing investigation into Wawan, in March, KPK investigators confiscated 17 plots of land worth billions of rupiah in Bali, assets that allegedly came from the businessman'€™s money-laundering activities.

Priharsa said the move was taken after a number of witnesses KPK investigators had questioned said the assets were bought using Wawan'€™s dirty money.

The confiscations added to a long list of dirty assets KPK investigators have seized from the businessman.

Earlier, KPK investigators confiscated 85 cars, ranging from luxury brands, including Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bentley and Rolls Royce, to trucks, from a number of people, including Wawan'€™s family members, confidants, celebrities and local councilors in Banten, as well as one Harley Davidson motorbike.

The KPK charged Wawan with money laundering after its investigators found in October 2013 that he and Atut were the masterminds behind a plan to bribe former Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar with billions of rupiah in return for a favorable ruling in a 2011 election dispute in Lebak regency, Banten.

In the bribery case, Akil was sentenced to life in prison, while Atut and Wawan were respectively sentenced to four and five years behind bars by the Jakarta Corruption Court.

Later, the Jakarta High Court upheld the sentences of the three convicts, while the Supreme Court maintained Akil'€™s sentence and increased Atut'€™s and Wawan'€™s sentences to seven years in prison.

With Wawan being accused of money laundering, the politically wired businessman could face a maximum sentence of 20 years behind bars. (alm)