SYMPATHY FOR DETAINED ANTI-GRAFT BODY LEADERS RISING

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Oct 31 (ANTARA) - How strongly the Indonesian people wish to see corruption in their country rooted out can perhaps be seen in the growing public sympathy for Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra Hamzah, two Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chiefs, who have been detained by police on bribery and abuse of authority charges.

        Regardless of whether or not the two anti-graft body commissioners are guilty, public sympathy for them is rising partly because of the performance of their institution, the KPK, which has become an icon of the war against corruption.

        Thus, its deputies are able to gain sympathy from the public when they are now in police custody, no matter who they actually are, wrong or right. In addition, the circulation of the transcript of a wiretapped telephone conversation suggesting the existence of a plot to frame the two anti-graft deputies and undermine the KPK itself, has helped to create public suspicion about why they arrested.

        On Thursday, police detained Bibit Samat and Chandra Hamzah who had been named suspects over alleged abuse of authority with regard to the issuance of a travel ban on businessman Anggoro Widjojo and also the issuance of a travel ban and later its revocation for businessman Djoko Tjandra.

        Anggoro Widjojo was previously investigated by the KPK over an alleged corruption in a forestry ministry project. Bibit and Chandra were suspected to have received a bribe of Rp7.6 billion from Anggodo Widjojo, a brother of Anggoro Widjojo.

        Up to Saturday, the tapped conversations had yet to be opened to the public although its transcript had been widely published by the media.

        In the meantime, expressions of public support for Bibit and Chandra continue to multiply. Even, former president Abdurrahman Wahid came to the KPK office to express readiness to vouch for the innocence of the two arrested KPK deputy chiefs.

        "I came to add more support for their release from detention. I am prepared to put my name on the line in this case," Abdurrahman Wahid who is popularly called 'Gus Dur' said after visiting the KPK office on Saturday.

        Gus Dur's action for the release of the suspended KPK deputy chiefs Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra Hamzah came after several other national figures had also declared their conviction that the two KPK leaders' arrest was a mistake. Inside the anti graft body's office, Gus Dur met KPK Vice Chairmen Haryono Ahmad, Mas Ahmad Sentosa and Waluyo along with other KPK officials.

        Other reactions also came from the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW), which regretted the arrest of Bibit and Chandra.

        "We regret the detention of the two KPK leaders at a time when they are submitting a judicial review over the KPK law to the Constitutional Court," ICW researcher Febri Diansyah, said.

        Golkar politician Yuddy Chrisnandi in the meantime visited the KPK office on Saturday to express his support to KPK. Chirsnandi said although the two suspended KPK deputy chiefs, Chandra M Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto, were currently facing legal trouble, he would continue to support the Commission.

        "We come here to the KPK office to give our support for the Commission to continue eradicating systematic corruption," Chrisnandi said. "Let people give their support for the arrested KPK chairmen," he added expressing doubt about President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's commitment to supremacy of the law. He was certain that the president was just accepting every measure taken by the police, including an allegedly illegal effort to frame the KPK leaders as indicated in the alleged wiretapped telephone conversations.

        He also said he was sure the case involving the KPK leaders had something to do with "something of a larger scope" which was now beginning to be perceived by the public.

        "I personally am certain that their (Bibit and Chandra's) case has something to do with the Bank Century scandal," Chrisnandi said referring to the ailing bank which neglected their customers but has received a much-criticized bailout of Rp6.7 trillion.

        The president's special adviser for law affairs Denny Indrayana acknowledged that the charges the police had cited for detaining the KPK commissioners were not fixed and this had caused pros and cons.

        "So far the police have been uncertain in determining the charges for detaining them and therefore pros and cons emerged in the public," Denny Indrayana said.

        He said there were questions regarding the police's decision with regard to the development of the case of KPK commissioners. The police had mentioned bribery, attempt to bribe and power abuse as their charges but later they were changed into power abuse and now extortion was also included in it. "The uncertainty of the charges has created pros and cons among the public," he said.

        In this case, House Commission III will invite the national police chief to explain about the police's decision to detain the two suspended KPK vice chairmen.

        "We, in Commission III in the House of Representatives (DPR), think there is no strong argument for the police to detain the two KPK deputies," he said after a discussion on "Polemics: Drama over Bibit and Chandra's detention."

        Gayus said the meeting between the national police chief and the commission that deals with law, security and human rights affairs was a routine event because the police was the commission's working partner.

        On Friday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on the authorities concerned to investigate and uncover the parties behind the circulation of the transcript of a tapped phone conversation purporting to prove the framing of the two KPK commissioners.

        "Regarding the transcript, I have asked for a thorough investigation of the case and into those recorded to see if they lead to the case of KPK chairmen Bibit and Chandra. Open it, explain it and investigate it thoroughly," he said in a press conference.

        In the meantime, National Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri has promised to investigate the case and had ordered the force's Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim) to carry out the investigation.

        "The police will investigate the case. I have ordered the Bareskrim to conduct a probe and investigation," he said.***4*** (T.014/A/HAJM/22:45/a014) (T.A014/A/A014/A/A014) 31-10-2009 23:00:15