Farouk Arnaz & Anita Rachman – After first having publicly denounced Prosperous Justice Party officials for allegedly embezzling campaign funds, ousted party co-founder Yusuf Supendi now accuses chairman Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq of libel.
Yusuf and his lawyer on Monday filed a police report saying Luthfi wrongfully accused him and State Intelligence Agency (BIN) officials of trying to defame the party known as PKS by airing out its dirty laundry.
"We reported Luthfi to the police for slander and defamation. He accused my client to be in collaboration with BIN to corner the PKS. This accusation is totally baseless," Yusuf's lawyer, Ahmad Rivai, told reporters at the National Police headquarters.
Yusuf last week reported PKS secretary general Anis Matta to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), accusing him of embezzling Rp 10 billion ($1.2 million) from the PKS's campaign funds for the Jakarta gubernatorial election in 2007. He also brought the accusation before the Ethics Council of the House of Representatives.
"My client never visited the BIN [building] and he did not have any business with BIN. This accusation that was sent to my client's mobile phone [via SMS] by Luthfi is slander," Rivai said.
In addition to the embezzlement accusations, Yusuf has also accused three senior PKS officials of having polygamous marriages not approved by the party's Shariah Council. He identified the three as Luthfi, Communications Minister Tifatul Sembiring and party deputy secretary general Mahfudz Siddiq.
The PKS has claimed it has been the target of a smear campaign designed to drive the party out of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's ruling coalition.
Mahfudz told the Jakarta Globe the PKS would respond to Yusuf's latest report in the same way it responded to his previous ones. "We will just let him," he said. "If the police want to summon PKS officials to testify, we are ready."
Anis said last week that Yusuf had been thrown out of the party in 2009 but the former politician insists he is still a member.
Nasir Djamil, a PKS legislator, said he was concerned about Yusuf. "Not about his mind, but about his soul – when I see his eyes on television," he said.
Since Yusuf left the party, Nasir said, "he spun out of control." The lawmaker added he thought that in this state, Yusuf could easily be used by anyone with ulterior motives.