Wednesday, October 12, 2005

How should we interpret Probosutedjo’s confession?

Why the hell economist Sri Edi Swasono accompanying convicted businessman Probosutedjo when the later was summoned by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)?

My first thought was because Mr Swasono is the husband of Meutia Hatta, minister for woman affairs. What for? Put pressures on investigators and give impression to public that Probosutedjo is clean?

I didn’t know that it was Mr Swasono whom Probosutedjo disclosed the bribery attempt for the first time and then reported the case to KPK.

“It was me who reported the case first to KPK. I saw the situation at Supreme Court has gone out of normal,” said Probosutedjo, former president Soeharto’s step brother, in a press conference after the Q & A with KPK investigators.

He was questioned for almost five hours yesterday by KPK investigators as witness in the US$500,000 bribery attempt committed by his lawyer Harini Wiyoso (a former chief prosecutor at Yogyakarta High Attorney) and five Supreme Court staffs. All of them had been detained except Probosutedjo, who is at the center of the case.

Feeling uncomfortable with so many offers to set him free with money compensation right from the lower court hearings up to an appeal process, Probosutedjo admitted he contacted Mr Swasono who then reported the case in July.

“The initiative to bribe Supreme Court judges wasn’t mine. It was Mrs Harini who offered the settlement and asked for 600,000 US dollars that would be divided as follows, 100,000 US dollars to be share down for everybody and US$500,000 for the Supreme Court chief justice Bagir Manan,” Probosutedjo said.

The owner of Mercu Buana Group admitted he was initially disagree with Harini’s proposal as he felt the he committed nothing wrong in the case that claimed a loss of US$10 million to the state.

“Besides I already disbursed a lot of money in the lower court and appeal process which was amounted US$1 million. Actually I have no money anymore. But if I should stay behind the bars, I will find out loans to collect the money demanded,” Probosutedjo admitted.

The money was collected and given to Harini in two tranches, the first in August for US$100,000 and the second early this month at US$500,000.

What more can you say?

Probosutedjo admitted that he had reported the bribery attempt in July but he gave the money to bribe in August and October. If he really didn’t want to bribe from the first place, why then he gave the money in two terms? If he was aware that Harini is not his lawyer for the case to be decided by Supreme Court, why he gave the money instead?

Should KPK just apologize this man because of his confession that he was the one who took initiative to report the bribery attempt? Should we assume that KPK and Probosutedjo had stroke a deal to fence in his own lawyer and Supreme Court staffs not in the first delivery in August but in the second delivery in October?

Listen to confession from Supreme Court staff and suspect Sudi Ahmad. Ahmad admitted he was showing an example of the verdict to Probosutedjo to convince the convicted to disburse the remaining US$500,000. And the verdict was a free for Probosutedjo. Lower court sentenced him four years in jail but appeal court cut that to two years.

If I were KPK, I should detain this man for a conscious and intentional try to bribe Supreme Court judges. He have the money simply because he believed that it could set him free. He gave the money with clear intention that he wanted the Supreme Court set him free.

KPK should also start to investigate those judges and everybody who took the US$1 million from Probosutedjo during the trial at lower and appeal courts.

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1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Well, I can give some simple reason of Mr Eddy Swasono being with that guy..
It is always as the ORDE BARU ways of life. Mr Swasono is one of Probo's hand just like Mr. Harmoko is the 'Menteri Penerangen' the era of Soeharto.. HIDUP GOLKAR!
Tolong di mengertiken toch
Cendana gitchu lho

November 05, 2005 12:29 PM  

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