Nivell Rayda& Farouk Arnaz – Antigraft watchdog groups on Friday urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to question the National Police over its decision to pursue a corruption case based on a controversial letter written by Antasari Azhar, the suspended chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) who is facing murder charges.
"We see that the president is doing nothing about police plans to make a case based on Antasari's letter alone," said Adnan Topan Husodo, vice chairman of Indonesia Corruption Watch.
"If he is really committed to fighting graft, SBY should ensure that the police are professional and have solid evidence before naming anyone as a suspect."
Yudhoyono, who was re-elected in a landslide victory last month, put government reform and fighting corruption at the top of his campaign platform and second-term agenda.
ICW was joined by Transparency International Indonesia and the Center for Law and Policy Studies (PSHK) at a news conference on Friday.
The groups were responding to media reports that the National Police would proceed with a corruption investigation based on a letter written by Antasari claiming that KPK members had taken bribes.
"Police must not make a case based on a weak evidence," PSHK chairman Solikhin said.
Antasari is being detained by police, who claim he was behind the murder of a businessman in March. The letter was dated May 16, just days after his arrest. Some have claimed Antasari wanted to take down fellow KPK members, while others have speculated that the KPK has made too many powerful enemies.
A lawyer for Antasari had previously said police forced him to write the letter. But on Friday, another lawyer for Antasari said police asked him to write the letter after listening to a taped conversation on his laptop.
The conversation was reportedly between Antasari and businessman Anggoro Widjaja, director of PT Masaro Radiokom and a bribery suspect who was being pursued by the KPK.
In the letter, Antasari said Anggoro told him last year that he had given money to several KPK officials on two separate occasions.
Meanwhile, the ICW said it suspected several National Police investigators, including the chief of detectives, met and questioned Anggoro – - who fled the country last year – about the alleged bribery in Si n gapore in July.
"This means police had met a corruption suspect and didn't even alert the KPK that they had located the KPK's suspect," Adnan said. "Police even tried to protect Anggoro from the KPK."
Separately, the chairman of the Witness and Victim Protection Agency, Abdul Haris Semendawai, said police had contacted the agency requesting protection for a corruption witness.
However, Semendawai refused to acknowledge if the witness was indeed Anggoro.
National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Nanan Soekarna said officers had questioned four witnesses in the KPK bribery case. "I can't tell you who they are just yet," he said.