The deputy chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission, Chandra M Hamzah, denied knowing businessman Anggodo Widjojo, as well as receiving anything from him. Chandra made the statement at the Anti-Corruption Court in Central Jakarta while testifying during Anggodo's ongoing graft trial on Tuesday.
Anggodo is currently on trial for attempting to bribe Chandra and Bibit Samad Riyanto, another deputy of the commission also known as the KPK, with Rp 5.1 billion ($555,000) so that a graft investigation against his brother, Anggoro Widjojo, would be dropped. Anggoro has since fled to Singapore.
"I don't know Anggodo or Ary Muladi," Chandra said in court. "I have never met them or have had any relations with them directly or indirectly. I have never accepted anything while serving for the KPK.
"I was never at Pasar Festival on April 15, 2009 [to receive bribes from Anggodo] as [I am now being] accused of. There's a CPR [call permanent record for cellphones] confirming that I was at Rajawali Tower [at the time]. There are many people who can be witnesses [to that]. All of a sudden, I was named as a suspect."
The National Police and Attorney General's Office, however, are still insisting that the KPK deputies had extorted money from Anggodo.
OC Kaligis, Anggodo's lawyer, who is currently applying for the post of KPK chairman, refuted Chandra's statement.
"You said Anggodo has never gone to KPK. How could he have obstructed KPK's investigation if he had never gone to KPK? Please explain so I can understand, as I am a candidate for KPK chairman,"Kaligis said when he cross-examined Chandra in court.
Last year, Anggodo told police that he had given bribes to three KPK officials through middleman Ary Muladi in order for the KPK to drop a graft investigation against his brother.
Ary later recanted his police statement, saying that the money never went to Bibit, Chandra or Ade, but was instead given to a man identified only as Yulianto.
Since then, the KPK has made 67 wiretapped recordings between Anggodo and law-enforcement officials public, allegedly conspiring to frame Bibit and Chandra on trumped-up charges.