Abdul Khalik, Jakarta – Pressure is mounting for the AGO to re-open investigations into the Bank Indonesia liquidity support (BLBI) graft case after a court found businesswoman Artalyta Suryani guilty of bribing a prosecutor involved in the inquiry.
Frans Hendra Winarta of the National Law Commission urged the Attorney General's Office on Wednesday to re-open the probe or let the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) step in.
There is no reason to delay re-opening the BLBI case, he said, as the court had found Artalyta's bribe was aimed at stopping investigations into the alleged misappropriation of BLBI funds involving tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim. "It is crystal clear," Frans said. "The BLBI case must be re-opened".
On Tuesday, the Corruption Court sentenced Artalyta to five years in prison and fined her Rp 250 million for bribing Urip Tri Gunawan, who had led the AGO investigations into Sjamsul's case.
During Artalyta's trial, the court heard a Feb. 27 tapped phone conversation between the businesswoman and Urip talking about a plot to end the AGO investigation. Urip had said it was secured, and added that the AGO decision would say, "After investigating for so long, there is no evidence of any violations of the law".
In their verdict Tuesday, the panel of judges said, "The money was connected, and not a loan, but was compensation for the BLBI investigation".
House of Representatives' Commission III on legal affairs deputy chairman Gayus Lumbuun also said the AGO must take another look at the case. "Commission III will ask the attorney general to re-open the case as soon as we resume our sitting. I think that's what the public wants," he said.
The House is scheduled to resume the sitting Aug. 16. Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) concurred.
"If the AGO refuses to re-open the case, the public will suspect (Attorney General) Hendarman (Supandji) was involved," ICW coordinator Danang Widoyoko said.
AGO spokesman BD Nainggolan said the re-opening of the BLBI case would have to wait until the court delivered its verdict in Urip's bribery trial. "The trials of Urip and Artalyta are connected, so re-opening the BLBI case depends on the court's ruling on Urip," Nainggolan said.
The AGO is appealing the South Jakarta District Court ruling which ordered it to re-open the BLBI case following a motion by a corruption watchdog in May. Frans, Gayus and Danang suggested if the AGO took the initiative to investigate the case anew it would restore public trust.