Noted lawyer’s son named suspect in graft case

Arghea Desafti Hapsari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 04/29/2010 10:11 AM

The antigraft body announced Wednesday it had named the son of noted lawyer Adnan Buyung Nasution a suspect in a graft case centering around a government project to procure cattle.

Adnan is known as a respected lawyer and human rights defender. He is also a former adviser to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

A deputy chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Chandra M. Hamzah, said the commission had in February named Iken BR Nasution a suspect in the multimillion-dollar case.

Iken was named a suspect “for taking part in the case involving the import of cattle ... under the Social Services Ministry’s poverty eradication program,” Chandra said during a hearing with House of Representatives’ Commission III overseeing legal affairs.

Iken is a commissioner of PT Atmadhira Karya, which allegedly was directly appointed as partner by the ministry in the purchase of the cattle, between 2005 and 2006. The project was valued at an estimated Rp 5 billion.

According to a 2003 presidential decree on procurement, direct appointment is only permissible for government projects worth less than Rp 50 million.

The ministry allegedly appointed the company to import 2,800 Steer Brahman Cross cattle from Australia.

However, the company fell short of supplying 900 animals and was accused of selling some outside the project.

Based on the KPK’s preliminary estimates, the fictitious import of cattle caused state losses of Rp 3.6 billion.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi said Iken would be charged with articles under the 1999 Law on Corruption, regulating acts of enriching one’s self or a corporation. The articles carry a maximum punishment of 20 years’ imprisonment and Rp 1 billion in fines.

The case has also implicated former social services minister Bachtiar Chamsyah. The KPK has previously named the latter a suspect. Bachtiar’s case, however, also involves the procurement of 6,000 sewing machines worth Rp 54 billion.

He also allegedly directly appointed a company for the procurement and inflated the price of goods.

An audit report from the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) in 2005 showed the procurement of the sewing machines and the import of the cattle was suspicious.

The KPK began investigating the case in 2007 and found positive evidence early last year.

Iken is a commissioner of PT Atmadhira Karya, which allegedly was directly-appointed as a partner by the ministry in the purchase of the cattle.