KPK WILL SOON INVESTIGATE GATOT AND HIS WIFE AS SUSPECTS

Jakarta, July 29 (Antara) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said it will soon investigate North Sumatra Governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho and his wife Evi Susanti as suspects in a graft case. The couple are charged with being behind the bribing of judges of the Medan administrative court (PTUN). "What we have to do soon is to investigate the two suspects maybe this week or next week," acting deputy chairman of KPK Johan Budi said at a news conference on Wednesday. Johan could not say whether the two would be detained after being investigated as suspects. "If the investigators think it is necessary then they would be detained," Johan Budi said. The case began when KPK caught red handed chairman of the Medan PTUN Tripeni Irianto Putro, the PTUN secretary Syamsir Yusfan and lawyer M Yagari Bhastara alias Gerry from the O.C. Kaligis law firm with US$5,000 in the hand of the lawyer. Tripeni's subordinates Amir Fauzi (AF) and Dermawan Ginting (DG), were picked up by KPK later . The five were already named suspects and arrested and O.C. Kaligis himself was arrested later on charge of being involved in the bribery. The case was linked to investigation by the attorney general office of a corruption case involving former head of the financial bureau of the provincial administration Ahmad Fuad Lubis. Fuad named Gerry as his lawyer to file a lawsuit with PTUN against the investigation launched by the attorney general. The investigation may lead to involvement of the governor himself and the suspicion was strengthened with Kaligis is the Gatot family's lawyer and Evi admitted to have given money to Kaligis. Gery's lawyer said Gery already received money from Kaligis several times earlier to bribe the judges. Evi, however, said he gave money to Kaligis as lawyer fee not to bribe the judges. ***2***