Anas questioned as suspect, again

JAKARTA. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has again questioned former Democratic Party (PD) chairman Anas Urbaningrum as a suspect in an alleged gratification case related to the Hambalang sports center construction project and other projects.

Anas, who has been detained at the KPK detention facility since Jan.10, refused to comment on his case, but gave a few comments on the subpoena filed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's family lawyers against Indonesian Movement Association (PPI) activist Sri Mulyono.

"Has there been a subpoena? I don't know the details yet. I knew there was a subpoena against Pak Sri Mulyono some time ago but I thought it had no urgency. How could a leader file a subpoena against his own people?" said Anas on Wednesday as quoted by Antara news agency.

In today's questioning, Anas was accompanied by his legal team, consisting of Adnan Buyung Nasution and Firman Wijaya.

"It's okay if he is questioned about Hambalang, but my objection is to him also being questioned about other cases when he doesn't know what they are all about," Anang Buyung said.

"For me, it's the principle that every citizen who is summoned to undergo questioning must know what case he or she will be questioned for. If not, it's a legal violation," he went on.

Firman Wijaya said Anas had once expressed hope that Yudhoyono could bring his son Edhie "Ibas" Baskoro Yudhoyono to the KPK so he could also be questioned on the Hambalang case.

"He [Anas] had once said that if he was SBY, he would hope that he could accompany Ibas to the KPK so everything could be 'clear' of problems that are very speculative," said Firman.

"Anas also asked that there would no 'special treatment' [for Ibas]," he went on.

Ibas, who worked on the steering committee during the PD's chairman selection congress in Bandung in 2010, was reported to have received US$200,000 from Permai Group, a company belonging to Hambalang suspect Muhammad Nazaruddin. (ebf)