Haeril Halim, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) questioned on Tuesday former National Intelligence Agency (BIN) chief AM Hendropriyono and National Land Agency (BPN) chairman Joyo Winoto as witnesses for graft and money laundering suspect Anas Urbaningrum, who is also former Democratic Party chairman.
"He [Hendropriyono] was questioned in relation to Anas' money laundering case," KPK spokesman Priharsa Nugraha said on Tuesday. As for Joyo, Priharsa said he was questioned as a witness in the Hambalang sports complex graft case, which also involved Anas.
Hendropriyono said KPK investigators asked him about the procurement of trilingual dictionaries of English, Indonesian and Arabic, which the intelligence agency initiated with a traditional Islamic boarding school run by Anas' father-in-law Attabik Ali in Yogyakarta.
Hendropriyono did not give details of the link between the procurement and the alleged money laundering activities of Anas, raising suspicions that Anas channeled ill-gotten money to the boarding school, financing the production of dictionaries proposed by the school.
Hendropriyono said the distribution of the dictionaries was part of efforts to eradicate terrorism. "When I was in charge of BIN, there were a lot of bombings taking place. The price the school offered to us was very cheap, Rp 100,000 [US$8.7] each. Later, we distributed thousands of dictionaries to Islamic boarding schools across Indonesia for free," Hendropriyono said.
He further said that Attabik proposed distributing the dictionaries. "I forget the value of the project, but it was reasonable. It took place years ago," he said. Hendropriyono failed to give details on the link between the distribution of the dictionary with BIN's terrorism eradication program.
Meanwhile, Joyo was summoned to give details on the issuance of a land certificate in the Hambalang project. According to an audit by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK), the issuance of the land certificate was marred with irregularities.
In the dossier of former youth and sports minister Andi Alfian Mallarangeng, another suspect in the Hambalang case, it was revealed that Anas had instructed Democratic Party lawmaker Ignatius Mulyono to lobby Joyo so that he could issue the land certificate for the project.
Also on Tuesday, the KPK questioned East Kutai Mining Agency head Timur Firly Sandi, to further investigate a claim that Anas controlled 10,000 hectares of coal mining in the regency.
Timur was summoned to give information on the issuance of a mining permit. Earlier on Tuesday, the antigraft body also summoned East Kutai Regent Isran Noor, a Democratic Party politician, to question him about the permit.
Speaking after his questioning last week, Isran defended Anas by saying that mining firm PT Arina Kotajaya, which controlled the mining operation, had nothing to do with Anas. "From the documents I've read, I've never seen Anas' name. The only names I recall are Saripah and Fauziah, not Anas," he said.
It remains to be seen if Anas is connected with the two names registered in the mining permit. Anas was named a suspect in the graft-ridden Hambalang sports complex project in West Java for allegedly accepting a Toyota Harrier sedan from the construction firm that won the tender.
KPK investigators accused Anas of accepting Rp 2.2 billion from the same company to fund his campaign during the Democrats' congress in 2010, during which he was elected chairman. Later, the KPK charged him with money laundering.
Anas was accused of violating articles 3 and 4 of the 2010 Money Laundering Law and articles 3 and 6 of the 2003 Money Laundering Law, which combined carry a maximum 20 years' imprisonment.
Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/04/30/illicit-funds-may-have-paid-anti-terror-program.html