POLICE CHIEF INVESTIGATOR RESIGNS OVER ALLEGED FRAMING OF ANTI-GRAFT BODY

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Nov 5 (ANTARA) - The head of the National Police's Criminal Investigation Department (Bareskrim), Commissioner General Susno Duaji and Junior Attorney General Abdul Hakim Ritonga resigned from their posts over an alleged attempt to frame Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders and undermine the anti-graft body.

        The news on the resignation of the Bareskrim chief was made public by National Police Chief General Bamgang Hendarso Danuri. "Susno is not suspended from his position. He himself asked to be relieved from his current job," said Danuri without saying when exactly Susno made the request and his reasons for doing so.

        In the meantime, the resignation of Ritonga was revealed by Attorney General Hendarman Supandji. Supandji said Junior Attorney General Abdul Hakim Ritonga had tendered his resignation verbally on Wednesday and would submit the written one on Thursday.

        "He said yesterday that he would resign and this morning he would submit his resignation letter," the attorney general said before attending a cabinet meeting at the presidential office on Thursday.

        But he said had not yet received Ritonga's resignation letter so that he did not know Ritonga's official reason to resign. By Thursday morning, the attorney general had not yet received Ritonga's resignation letter. "I went to the presidential office directly so I had no time to check the letter in my office," Hendarman added.

        The attorney general said that in his verbal request to resign on Wednesday, Ritonga said he would resign if he would become a burden to the attorney general's office as an institution. "If I become a burden to the institution, I will resign," Hendarman quoted Ritonga as saying.

        Ritonga was named in a wiretapped conversation which indicated a plot to frame Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders. The wiretapped conversations which were heard at a Constitutional Court (MK) session on Tuesday suggested the existence of a plot to frame the KPK leaders and undermine the anti-graft body.

        In the meantime, Susno's resignation also followed a growing public clamor for his suspension due to his alleged involvement in a plot to frame two KPK deputy chiefs.

        Demands for Susno's suspension climaxed after a recording of telephone conversations between businessman Anggodo Widjojo, younger brother of corruption suspect Anggoro Widjojo, and certain police and public prosecutors were played in a session of the Constitutional Court on Tuesday.

        The conversations in which Duaji's name was mentioned several times suggested the existence of efforts to engineer a bribery case against KPK deputy chiefs Bibit Samat Rianto and Chandra M Hamzah.

        Among those mentioned in the recordings were also vice attorney general Abdul Hakim Ritonga, former deputy attorney general for intelligence Wisnu Subroto, the National Police's chief detective, Susno Duadji and the former National Police's deputy chief detective, intelligence Inspector General Hadiatmoko.

        An independent Fact-Finding Team which was formed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, after attending Tueday's MK session, urged the Police Chief to suspend Susno Duaji.

        On Thursday, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked for the suspension of police and Attorney General's Office (AGO) officers whose names were mentioned in the wiretapped conversations.

        "I have told (the police chief and the attorney general) that those whose names were mentioned in the wiretapped conversations be relieved from their tasks so that investigations can be conducted properly," the president said at a cabinet plenary session.

        The president also asked the coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs to provide protection for suspended KPK deputy chiefs Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra Hamzah and the key witness in the bugged eavesdropping so that they could provide testimony with regard to the case.

        "I call for protection of their safety. Protection of witnesses, or whoever, is important because our country is a law-abiding nation. There should be no irresponsible hands that would create a chaotic situation through irresponsible actions," Yudhoyono said.

        Police on Tuesday (Sept. 15, 2009 ) named KPK vice chairmen Chandra M Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto suspects and later detained them on bribery, abuse of authority and extortion charges.

        They were alleged to have abused authority with regard to the issuance of a travel ban on businessman Anggoro Widjojo, director of PT Masaro Radiokom. Aggoro was allegedly involved in a Rp180 billion corruption case with an Integrated Radio Communication System (SKRT) project in the Ministry of Forestry.

        Earlier, the KPK had obtained initial proof Duaji had used his power to make ailing Bank Century return a huge amount of deposited funds to their owner unlawfully.

        Commenting on the resignation of Duaji and Ritonga, Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Marzuki Alie appreciated their decisions to resign, saying it was a gentleman's attitude. "If he feels he is guilty and then decides to resign, it is a good decision," Marzuki Alie told the press.

        The same opinion was also expressed by legal practitioner Hendardi, who is also chairman of the Setara Institute. "The decisions of Duaji and Ritonga to step down are the fruit of untiring public pressure," he said. (T.A014/A/HAJM/17:15/a014) (T.A014/A/A014/A/A014) 05-11-2009 17:32:53