Nivell Rayda

Former Tabloid Editor Grilled by Antigraft Agency

Investigators at the Corruption Eradication Commission on Thursday grilled the former editor of local tabloid Investigasi for eight hours after he was summoned by the antigraft body over his alleged involvement in a plot to undermine the antigraft agency.

Following his interrogation, which began upon his arrival at the commission, also known as the KPK, at 9 a.m., Edi Sumarsono told reporters that investigators quizzed him mainly about his relationship to businessman Anggodo Widjojo, the brother of fugitive graft suspect Anggoro Widjojo. Anggodo is at the center of a plot allegedly hatched to frame KPK deputy commissioners Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M. Hamzah, after they launched graft investigations against Anggoro and his company PT Masaro Radiokom.

Anggodo’s role in the plot was made public after his telephone conversations, secretly bugged by the KPK, were played at a Constitutional Court hearing. The conversations told of a conspiracy to frame the KPK deputies on charges of extortion and abuse of power.

Once prosecutors dropped the charges, the KPK quickly moved to investigate Anggodo for attempted bribery and obstructing a KPK graft investigation.

Edi admitted he had helped Anggodo by setting up a meeting between former KPK boss Antasari Azhar and Anggoro. The graft suspect is currently settled in Singapore, which has no extradition treaty with Indonesia.

“After setting up that meeting, I only observed the case from a distance. I never became involved again,” Edi said.

KPK chief Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean said the commission would focus its investigations on the attempted bribery allegations.

“All we have to do is to prove the existence of a motive of intent. But we want to get more [evidence] before we move on to the next level,” he said, adding that the KPK is also seeking evidence of Anggodo’s role in the obstruction of a graft investigation. “We already know that [Anggodo] is concealing the whereabouts of his brother.”

Anggoro is wanted for bribing a senior official at the Ministry of Forestry in 2007.

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