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AGO launches own graft probe on Gatot

Instead of handing over its investigation into North Sumatra Governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) has launched its own probe on the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician

Haeril Halim (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Wed, August 26, 2015

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AGO launches own graft probe on Gatot

I

nstead of handing over its investigation into North Sumatra Governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), the Attorney General'€™s Office (AGO) has launched its own probe on the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician.

The KPK earlier named Gatot a graft suspect for his role in allegedly bribing judges at the Medan State Administrative Court (PTUN).

Four prosecutors questioned Gatot along with his second wife Evi Susanti, also a KPK suspect currently in KPK custody, for their roles in the alleged misuse of social aid funds at the provincial administration office for the 2011 and 2013 fiscal years.

Prosecutors questioned the couple as witnesses in the case.

After the questioning, Gatot and his wife did not issue any comments regarding their questioning.

'€œThe AGO has officially launched an investigation into the case, but so far we have yet to declare any suspects. Pak Gatot was questioned as a witness in the case,'€ AGO investigator Victor Antonius told reporters at the KPK headquarters after Tuesday'€™s questioning.

Victor further said that the AGO needed to question Gatot in order to get details on the beneficiaries of funds swindled from the social aid projects.

'€œOur team is also stepping up efforts to collect evidence in the field to build a strong argument in the case,'€ Victor added.

In mid-July, the KPK arrested Gatot and Evy and sent them to its detention center for their suspected roles as masterminds of a scheme to bribe three PTUN judges.

The bribes were allegedly paid in an effort to get a court order to instruct the North Sumatra Prosecutor'€™s Office to stop investigating the governor in the social aid case. Prosecutors followed the court order.

Following the arrest, the KPK decided to launch its own probe into the case.

The KPK has also detained PTUN Medan head Tripeni Irianto Putro and two other judges, Amir Fauzi and Dermawan Ginting, for accepting bribes from prominent advocate OC Kaligis, who acted on behalf of Gatot. Kaligis was also detained after the arrest of the three judges.

After the PTUN Medan voided the social aid fund investigation following the court'€™s ruling, the AGO decided to reopen the case.

For the sake of efficiency, the KPK attempted to ask the AGO to hand over the investigation to the KPK but to no avail.

However, the KPK said it had no problem with the AGO launching a separate probe into the case.

'€œBased on our coordination meeting with the AGO, we agreed the AGO could handle the case,'€ acting KPK deputy chairman Indriyanto Seno Adji told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

Indriyanto said the two law enforcement agencies would communicate regularly regarding progress in their respective probes to avoid scheduling conflicts in the future.

He suggested that all future questioning be conducted at the KPK headquarters because the two suspects were currently being detained at the antigraft body'€™s detention center.

'€œThe two institutions will not face problems in the future from these two separate probes,'€ Indriyanto said.

Meanwhile, Gatot'€™s lawyer Yanuar Wasesa maintained that his client was still a witness in the case and prosecutors had not made drastic moves against Gatot and his wife.

'€œI have not been briefed by my clients about the case so I cannot make any further comments. From what I know, my client was questioned by AGO investigators today at the KPK headquarters,'€ Yanuar said on Tuesday.

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