The KPK on Wednesday questioned
lawmaker Yusron Ihza Mahendra about a transfer of Hutomo
"Tommy" Mandala Putra's money from the Banque
Nationale de Paris (BNP) Paribas to a government account.
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) spokesman Johan
Budi said the KPK was gathering information on the transfer,
which involved Yusron's Ihza and Ihza law firm, Tommy, who
is the youngest son of the late former president Soeharto,
and several officials in former president Megawati's Cabinet.
"We have been gathering data on this for some time
now. We are just conducting a preliminary probe," he
said.
Yusron arrived at around 10 a.m. at the KPK office and underwent
two hours of questioning as a witness in the case.
"The KPK just wanted some clarification from Yusron
in connection to money transferred from BNP Paribas,"
Johan said.
Yusron is the younger brother of former justice and human
rights minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra, whose law firm handled
the transfer of US$10 million (Rp 145 billion) of Tommy's
money in BNP Paribas to the ministry's account during Megawati's
term.
BNP Paribas had refused to transfer the money, which was
saved under an account belonging to Tommy's company PT Motor
Bike, but eventually gave in to the demand after lengthy
negotiations between the London-based bank and Yusril's
law firm.
By 2005 all the money was finally transferred to the ministry's
account when Yusril had already been replaced as minister
by Hamid Awaluddin.
Tommy was tried several times for allegedly siphoning off
state funds to his companies. He was never found guilty
in a civil case, but spent seven years in prison after a
district court found him guilty of conspiracy to murder
a judge who handled his case.
The South Jakarta District Court ruled in Tommy's favor
earlier this year in a case involving Tommy's company PT
Goro Baktara Sakti and the State Logistics Company (Bulog).
A panel of judges in the case ordered Bulog to pay Tommy
Rp 5 billion in immaterial damages. (anw) |
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