Nivell Rayda & Farouk Arnaz

Anggodo Demands ‘Equal’ Treatment from Indonesian Prosecutors

Slapped with a travel ban at the request of the antigraft commission, businessman Anggodo Widjojo may file a pretrial motion against prosecutors who dropped criminal charges against two commission deputies.

“We respect [the commission]. But should it fail to halt its graft investigations into my client Anggodo Widjojo and his brother [fugitive graft suspect] Anggoro Widjojo, we will consider all legal avenues available. We are currently looking at filing a pretrial motion,” lawyer Bonaran Situmeang said.

“We want to get equal treatment before the law. If prosecutors can drop charges against [antigraft deputies] Chandra M. Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto due to lack of evidence, the same should be done for my client. Instead, the [commission] went on to issue a travel ban against [Anggodo],” Bonaran said.

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean said Wednesday that the immigration office had agreed to the commission’s request for a travel ban.

The ban will expire in May 2010 but could be extended.

Tumpak said that Anggodo’s ban was related to the KPK’s investigation into the bribery case involving his brother’s company, PT Masaro Radiokom.

“We are developing the case further. [The travel ban] is a precautionary action given that his brother fled the country,” Tumpak said.

Anggodo’s brother, Anggoro Widjojo, took flight in May last year, before the KPK had a chance to impose a travel ban against him.

Bibit and Chandra were accused by police of abuse of power and corruption in connection with the Anggoro case.

Anggodo was later caught on tape apparently plotting with police to frame the two officials as a way of discrediting the KPK. Public outrage helped lead to charges being dropped this month against the KPK officers.

Police have transferred jurisdiction in the Anggodo case to the KPK.

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