T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) slapped a travel ban on noted lawyer OC Kaligis on Monday, just days after the antigraft body caught his aide bribing three judges during a recent sting-operation in Medan, North Sumatra.

The issuance of the travel ban raises speculation that Kaligis, who is known for giving legal assistance to a number of celebrities in the country, would follow his aide Yagari '€œGerry'€ Bhastara Guntur, who works for his prominent legal firm, to be named a suspect in the case.

KPK investigators moved to raid Kaligis'€™ legal firm in Jakarta to seek evidence on his possible role in the bribery scheme after the lawyer failed to show up for questioning as a witness in the case at KPK headquarters on Monday.

The KPK on Monday also banned North Sumatra Governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho, whose office was raided by the antigraft body on Sunday, after the KPK found that the money Gerry gave to the three disgraced judges '€” Tripeni Irianto Putro, who is the head of the Medan State Administrative Court (PTUN Medan), Amir Fauzi and Dermawan Ginting, was related to the handling of a plaintiff filed by Gatot'€™s office to the court. OC Kaligis legal office reportedly handles legal processes at the PTUN Medan.

'€œWe are currently analyzing the layers of this bribery scheme to find out who masterminded [the bribery] and who received orders to carry out the operation because logically, based on the current evidence we have, it is unlikely that Gerry is the one who had the money and who initiated [the bribing of the judges],'€ KPK acting commissioner Indriyanto Seno Adji said on Monday.

KPK investigators failed to confront Gatot with the evidence they seized from his office after the governor skipped a questioning session at the KPK office on Monday.

Tripeni, Amir, Dermawan, Gerry and a court clerk identified as Syamsir Yusfan, all of whom were nabbed at the PTUN Medan during the sting operation, have been named suspects in the case.

The bribery is allegedly related to a PTUN Medan ruling that the North Sumatra Prosecutors'€™ Office had no authority to investigate North Sumatra administration finance bureau head Ahmad Fuad Lubis on the alleged misappropriation of lower regional assistance and social assistance funds under the Gatot administration. It is alleged that the US$2,000 bribe paid to Tripeni, Amir and Dermawan, determined the verdict issued on Tuesday last week.

The KPK will determine whether to increase the status of Gatot and Kaligis from witnesses to suspects after interrogating them on the case in the future well and after finishing examining evidence KPK investigators confiscated from the raids on the offices of Kaligis and Gatot.

The Jakarta Post could not reach Kaligis for confirmation regarding his no-show at the KPK as of Monday night.

Separately, KPK spokesman Priharsa Nugraha said that KPK investigators would reschedule questioning sessions for Kaligis and Gatot in the near future, adding that a staffer from Kaligis'€™ law firm office came to the KPK on Monday to request a delay for his questioning.

'€œWith regard to Gatot, he was absent without information,'€ Priharsa told reporters at KPK headquarters on Monday.