April Aswadi, Nivell Rayda & Heru Andrianto

The fact-finding team was appointed by the President to dig into the legal battle between police and prosecutors and the antigraft commission. (Photo: Rosa Panggabean, Antara)

Indonesia's Team of 8 Says KPK Scandal Advice 'Should Be Implemented'

The team investigating the Corruption Eradication Commission scandal was counting on President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to act on its recommendations, the head of the team said on Monday.

Adnan Buyung Nasution, a lawyer and presidential adviser heading the fact-finding team, said that after two weeks, it would finally submit its 26-page list of recommendations today. It had originally been scheduled to deliver its report on Monday.

“In polite Indonesian language, these are recommendations. In more direct language, these recommendations should be implemented,” Adnan said. “We are anxiously waiting — just like regular people — about whether our work will either settle or aggravate matters.”

But he acknowledged the team could not force the president to heed or implement its final recommendations.

Djoko Suyanto, coordinating minister for political, legal and security affairs, assured the media on Monday that the president would meet the team on Tuesday morning.

Anies Baswedan, spokesman for the so-called Team of Eight, emphasized that it had considered the evidence against two deputy commissioners of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), Bibit Samad Rianto and Chandra M Hamzah, to be weak.

But he declined to say whether the recommendations indicated the team saw a deliberate plot to incriminate the pair. “It is only a recommendation.”

Adnan said the team would need more time if a comprehensive settlement was required, but added that it would not seek an extension of its tenure.

He said among the unfinished matters was a recording of Boedi Sampoerna’s lawyer, Lucas, talking with former National Police chief detective Susno Duadji.

“This is a problem, as the case against Bibit and Chandra started with this. What has been unraveled is that it started from there, although materially it has no special connection,” Adnan said.

Team member Todung Mulya Lubis said he was certain the president would properly consider the team’s recommendations.

“If the government fails to settle this case, the entire corruption eradication effort will be interrupted too,” he said.

“Corruption eradication is on the agenda of the SBY-Boediono administration, therefore I believe that the president will read and consider these recommendations, and I am sure he will take the necessary steps to settle such a critical situation.”

Late on Monday, Yudhoyono met behind closed doors with his legal affairs minister, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji, National Police Chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri and the new head of the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), Sutanto.

Meanwhile, the Attorney General’s Office delayed its announcement, which was due on Monday, on whether it would take its case against Chandra to court.

“Prosecutors are still examining the charge documents against Chandra Hamzah. We are checking whether the police already followed our instructions,” AGO spokesman Didiek Darmanto said.

“As for Bibit Samad Rianto, we will return his documents to the police for completion later today [Monday].”

Didiek stressed that the AGO’s decision would not be affected by the Team of Eight’s findings.

“We delayed the announcement because prosecutors are still carefully examining the case, not because we are waiting for the fact-finding team to announce its own results,” he said.

Your View

See Result