Probe Urged on SBY in Beef Case
Witness Ridwan Hakim as he takes the stand at the trial of Ahmad Fathanah, the former aid to the one-time Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) chief Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq. (JG Photo/Afriadi Hikmal)
Pressures are mounting to further investigate the connection between a businessman known as Sengman and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in the country's latest corruption scandal.
Sengman was alleged to have delivered Rp 40 billion ($3.7 million) to a man referred to as Engkong in recorded conversations. Engkong is alleged to be Hilmi Aminuddin, the chief patron of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS).
Sengman's name first emerged last week at the trial of Ahmad Fathanah, an aide to Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, the former president of the PKS. Both Ahmad and Luthfi are accused of using their influence to rig the lucrative government contracts on beef imports.
In clarifying the subject of the wire-tapped conversation he had with Fathanah, witness Ridwan Hakim — son of Hilmi — told the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court on Friday that Sengman, a person referred to in their conversation, was a courier for the president.
Carrel Ticualu, a former Democratic Party (PD) member who now represents former PD chairman Anas Urbaningrum as an attorney, urged the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to thoroughly investigate whether Yudhoyono received money from fixing the beef import quota.
Carrel challenged the KPK to be bold. "After the recording evidence in court suggested that Sengman delivered Rp 40 billion to SBY, why has no one had the courage to follow it up to the same extent Ahmad Fathanah was grilled? He did not give nearly as much money to those women, including Ayu Azhari," Carrel lashed out on Tuesday. Ayu is an actress.
The KPK's hesitancy to pursue the president with full force ignites old corruption fears for Carrel.
"Is this a conspiracy between KPK and Cikeas as many had suspected?" he asked, referring to Yudhoyono's private residence in Cikeas, West Java.
Gede Pasek Suardika, chairman of House Commission III from the Democratic Party defended the president's innocence, reasoning that if Sengman was a special envoy for the president and his activities, he would have been a member of PD. But he is not, Pasek says.
Pasek claimed he had never heard of Sengmen until recently. "I thought it was the name of a business at first."
Presidential spokesman Julian Aldrin Pasha said the president may have known the figure identified only as Sengman, but denied that he was the president's representative on any matter.
"As we all know, a president's envoy has special duties and they are given in a written statement," Julian said.
However, as Sengman is believed to be an influential businessman in South Sumatra, it is possible the president may have known him when he was commander of the Sriwijaya Military Area Command from 1996 to 1997, observers speculate.
| Reply via web post | Reply to sender | Reply to group | Start a New Topic | Messages in this topic (1) |
to Subscribe via email :
batavia-news-subscribe@yahoogroups.com
----------------------------------------
VISIT Batavia News Blog
http://batavia-news-networks.blogspot.com/
----------------------------
You could be Earning Instant Cash Deposits
in the Next 30 Minutes
No harm to try - Please Click
http://tinyurl.com/bimagroup
--------------
No comments:
Post a Comment