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Patrialis knew about kickbacks, claims graft suspect

Kamaludin, a suspected middleman in the bribery case involving former Constitutional Court (MK) justice Patrialis Akbar, has affirmed Patrialis’ knowledge of kickbacks offered to influence the result of a judicial review case on beef imports

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta
Tue, August 8, 2017

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Patrialis knew about kickbacks, claims graft suspect

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amaludin, a suspected middleman in the bribery case involving former Constitutional Court (MK) justice Patrialis Akbar, has affirmed Patrialis’ knowledge of kickbacks offered to influence the result of a judicial review case on beef imports.

Testifying at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Monday, Kamaludin told judges that he had informed Patrialis about Rp 2 billion (US$150,139) in bribes from beef importer Basuki Hariman.

Both Basuki and Patrialis are currently facing separate trials.

The bribe, Kamaludin said, aimed to influence the Constitutional Court in deciding a judicial review case surrounding the 2014 Law on Farming and Animal Husbandry.

“At first, Patrialis replied by telling me that Basuki should directly approach justices who had yet to give their arguments regarding the ruling,” Kamaludin testified.

“Not long after that, he [Patrialis] called me, saying that he was going to help find a solution regarding the other justices.”

At Monday’s trial hearing, Kamaludin also admitted to wrongdoing by accepting $50,000 from the beef importer.

He told the bench that he had given 20 percent of the money, or $10,000, to Patrialis.

The testimony appeared to dismiss Patrialis’s denial of the existence of such fees during a previous trial session, when the prosecutors indicted the former justice.

During the indictment hearing in June, Patrialis denied having any knowledge of the Rp 2 billion bribe, which, according to Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors, was offered to him by Basuki in exchange for a favorable ruling on the petition.

Prosecutors also accused Patrialis of accepting up to $70,000 in bribes in a request related to the judicial review process, which was allegedly brokered by Kamaludin.

Patrialis, who testified before the court in a separate trial on Monday, once again repeated his denial of knowing about alleged kickbacks worth Rp 2 billion.

“I swear, Kamaludin never told me about the money,” Patrialis said.

However, Judge Nawawi Pamulango, who has presided over all the trial hearings centered around this case, including the one leveled at Patrialis, did not ask Kamaludin for his testimony on the bribes in question during Patrialis’s hearing on Monday.

The Jakarta Corruption Court is set to hear prosecutors’ demand against Patrialis and Kamaludin next week.

On Monday, the court also heard defense pleas from Basuki and his secretary Ng Fenny as defendants in two separate hearings. The two have been charged with offering bribes amounting to $20,000 and S$200,000 ($146,713) through Kamaludin.

Basuki, meanwhile, said he had not meant to bribe Patrialis as he gave the money to the latter’s aide without knowing whether it would go to the former Constitutional Court justice.

“It is true that Kamaludin asked me for some money, which was intended to be used for personal matters,” Basuki said during the hearing.

“I never promised to give the money to Patrialis.”

The $50,000, Basuki added, was actually given in exchange for information regarding the judicial review process, the ruling of which had been delayed for some time.

His lawyer, Frans Hendra Winarta, added that the businessman intended to use the information for his future business ventures.

KPK prosecutors have demanded 11 and 10-year prison sentences for Basuki and Fenny, respectively. (kuk)

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