Nivell Rayda – The Corruption Eradication Commission says it has crucial evidence that might confirm that two of its deputy chairmen have been framed.
The commission's chief of graft investigations and prosecutions, Ade Rahardja, said on Monday that evidence obtained from the National Police could clear Bibit Samad Riyanto and Chandra Hamzah.
Bibit and Chandra have been accused of extorting Rp 5.1 billion ($570,000) from businessman Anggodo Widjojo in exchange for halting a criminal investigation into his brother, Anggoro Widjojo, and lifting an overseas travel ban on him.
The case against the deputies was dropped by the Attorney General's Office last year but the Jakarta High Court later ruled it must continue. The AGO is now appealing to the Supreme Court.
The decision to continue prosecuting Bibit and Chandra came just before the Anti-Corruption Court ruled the money never went to the pair but was swindled by middleman Ary Muladi, who claimed to have channeled it to a man identified as Yulianto.
Ade said the commission, or KPK, had obtained Ary's call data records, or CDR, from the National Police, proving that Bibit and Chandra were charged without enough evidence.
"The CDR only contains records of Ary Muladi contacting a lawyer named Eddy Rachman and [reporter] Edi Sumarsono. Ary contacted Eddy Rachman at least 331 times, according to the records," Ade said. "There is no record of Ary contacting myself or any other KPK official."
The police and the AGO had said they obtained 64 wiretapped conversations between Ary and Ade, as well as CCTV footage, that indicated Bibit and Chandra did take the bribe.
But police failed to present the conversations during Anggodo's trial and later said they had only call data records, refusing to disclose whose cell phones were involved.
Ary has said that the Eddy Rachman he contacted so many times was a KPK researcher. But Ade said investigations showed Eddy was in fact a lawyer based in Cakung, East Jakarta.
"Everything Ary said was a lie," a National Police source said on Monday. "There might not even be a Yulianto. We suspect Ary kept all of Anggodo's money for himself.
"There was only proof of 15 money transfers to a person named Eddy Rachman, who [Ary] said worked for the KPK. But again this is false. Eddy is a man we believe is working for Anggodo."
Ade said the new evidence also shed new light on Ary's role in framing the KPK deputies. "Ary told police he met me at the KPK, but his cellphone records show he was in Lebak Bulus," Ade said, referring to an area 15 kilometers from the KPK office.
The Supreme Court announced last week that it would soon hear the AGO's appeal on the prosecution of Bibit and Chandra.