KPK searches Supreme Court over graft case

JAKARTA. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) searched Supreme Court offices on Monday, in relation to an investigation into a case of alleged bribery involving a court official.

"Our focus is on the alleged corruption case involving the court official. The search was aimed at finding any related evidence that could strengthen our investigation into the case," KPK spokeswoman Yuyuk Andriati told a press briefing at the antigraft body’s office in Jakarta on Monday. The search began at 9 a.m. and lasted for two-and-a-half hours.

KPK investigators also searched the office of Andri Tristianto Sutrisna, who has been named a graft suspect in an alleged bribery case.

On Saturday, the KPK named Andri, chief of the subdirectorate of appeals and special civil case second reviews at the Supreme Court, a suspect in a graft case in relation to a delay in extending an appeal request for a verdict in a corruption case surrounding the development of a port in West Nusa Tenggara in 2007-2008.

The antigraft body also named two other people, lawyer Awang Lazuardi Embat and businessman Ichsan Suaidi, suspects in the case.

Ichsan, who is also the director of construction firm PT Citra Gading Asritama (CGA), is the defendant in the West Nusa Tenggara port construction project, in which he has filed an appeal with the Supreme Court.

Separate raids

On Sunday, KPK investigators searched two houses belonging to Andri, located in San Lorenzo, Gading Serpong, and Taman Parahyangan, Tangerang, Banten.

Also on Sunday, the anticorruption body searched an apartment belonging to Ichsan in the Sudirman Park complex, Central Jakarta.

"We seized several documents and pieces of electronic equipment," Yuyuk said.

She further said that Supreme Court leaders had discussed the case with KPK leadership. However, it remained unclear how coordination between the two would proceed.

Andri is accused of violating Article 12 and Article 11 of Law No. 31/1999 on corruption eradication. Meanwhile, Ichsan and Awang are charged with violating Article 5 (1) and Article 13 of Law No. 31/1999 in reference to Article 55 (1) of the Criminal Code. (Erika Anindita)