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Another chapter in the controversy unleashed by the former police chief of detectives, Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji, began late on Tuesday after a former diplomat returned to Indonesia and told investigators of bribes to officials on the force, police said.

Businessman Sjahril Djohan, who is believed to be “the real actor” behind case-brokering in the National Police referred to by Susno, arrived in Jakarta on Tuesday, escorted by a police officer on his flight from Singapore, and was immediately taken in for questioning.

“He [said] there was money that went to some police officials. We need to clarify his testimony,” said Chief Comr. Budi Waseso, an internal affairs investigator.

Police stressed that Sjahril was not under arrest. “He came voluntarily and we need him to clarify with him Pak Susno’s allegations. His status is a witness,” National Police deputy spokesman Sr. Comr. Zainuri Lubis said.

On April 8, Susno told the House of Representatives’ Commission III, which oversees legal and political affairs, that a retired police general, identified as MP, had been working alongside a “powerful” civilian case broker identified by Susno as SJ, as well as “Mr. X.”

MP is believed to be Comr. Gen. Makbul Padmanagara, the retired former deputy chief who acknowledged on Friday that Sjahril was a friend but said he had never done him favors. Makbul also said Susno had a warm relationship with Syahril.

There is speculation that the police had brought in Syahril to provide testimony against Susno as well. A police source, who requested anonymity, said Sjahril “was the man we were looking for last week when we dispatched our investigators to Melbourne.

“We are also suspicious that he has a special relationship with Susno. We hope he can testify against Susno,” he told the Jakarta Globe.

The source claimed the investigators were also looking for evidence Susno had illicit funds stashed in Australia. They said, however, that they believed the man they were looking for in Australia had fled to Singapore.

There has also been speculation that Susno, who was stopped by police on Monday from flying to Singapore, was on his way to meet Sjahril.

A lawyer for Susno, Husni Maderi, denied the suggestions, saying that Susno was going there to seek medical treatment.

Although many viewed the police’s seizing of Susno at the airport on Monday as an attempt to silence the whistleblower, the police argued it was purely for disciplinary reasons. They said he had not requested leave to go overseas, per regulations. He was questioned and released.

Another National Police source said testimony from Sjahril, who was also a consultant for the National Police and the Attorney General’s Office, would be used to confront four suspects over the initial investigation of rogue tax official Gayus Tambunan, who was acquitted of embezzlement last month but now faces fresh money laundering and graft charges. Susno last month accused senior police officials of taking bribes to go easy on Gayus.

The source said the suspects were Gayus, his former lawyer Haposan Hutagalung and two police officers who worked the case, Adj. Comr. Sri Sumartini and Comr. Arafat Enanie.