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121317
Tue, 05/11/2010 - 00:19
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News Focus: WHISTLE-BLOWER SUSNO DUAJI NAMED SUSPECT
By Eliswan Azly
Jakarta, May 10(ANTARA) - The whistle-blower on case brokering practices within the police force, Commissioner General Susno Duaji, was on Monday named a suspect in the Arwana fish breeding case after police investigators had grilled him since morning.
Susno Duaji, the National Police's former chief detective, became a suspect after being questioned by an independent team for having allegedly received a bribe amounting to Rp500 million from Syahril Johan in the Arwana case in 2008, the National Polcie Headquarters' official spokesman, Inspector General Edward Aritonang, said here Monday.
Susno who became popular for having revealed a Rp25 billon-worth tax fraud case involving roque tax official Gayus Tambunan was questioned by police after telling the House's commission III that there was a case-brokering network bigger than the one involving Gayus Tambunan with Sjahril Djohan as the key player.
Then, the police attempted to deepen their probe into the case after receiving testimony from Shahril Johan, a legal broker officially implicated in the Gayus-related bribery case, that Susno had received a bribe from him in the Arwana case in 2008, Aritonang told the press.
The naming of Susno Duaji as a suspect in the case made his lawyers confused, because the questioning conducted by the independent team had actually completed the process of grilling and then Susno had to sign a letter on the completion of the probe on the case.
Mohammad Assegaf, one of Susno's lawyers, after accompanying his client at the police headquartera, expressed confusion about the police's action against his client.
According Assegaf, after his client had signed a document on his statements as a witness , the police investigators showed him a warrant for his detention.
"It was a trap. Why should Susno who has been quite cooperative in the investigation suddenly be named a suspect and detained straightaway," he said.
Until now, Assegaf said, the police investigation team had yet to inform him and other lawyers acting as Susno's legal counsels about the reasons for their client's detention.
According to the law, police could detain a suspect if they believe he or she would flee the country, destroy evidences or repeat the alleged criminal offense, he said.
Assegaf said the reasons used by the investigating team was probably based on made-up charges. "The main point is that Susno has been trapped into becoming a suspect after being grilled over the Arwana case," he said.
Another member of Susno's lawyers' team, Henry Yosodiningrat, said that the the police's independent investigation team had claimed they already had enough evidences to name Susno suspect in the flow of Arwana case-related bribe money.
But Henry said the police team's claim was to be doubted because what they had desribed as evidence was only based on certain people's statements.
"The police have so far grilled four persons as witnesses but it is premature to detain Susno merely on the basis of their statements," he said, adding the naming of Susno as suspect was really illogical, because it was Susno himself who had uncovered the case in the first place.
About Susno's detention itself, his lawyers' team was now preparing to file a pre-trial suit against the police's action on account of police statements which did not synchronize with each other.
Commenting on Susno Duaji's detention, National Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri said the police's investigation team had full authority to do so.
He denied that Susno Duaji was treated improperly during the questioning at the National Police Headquarters on Monday.
"It is impossible to treat him improperly because he is still an active and high-ranking police officer," Danuri said.
Last Thursday, Susno did not show up for questioning as a witness, because the summons did not include the name of a suspect.
Assegaf said his client was reluctant to come to the national police headquarters because the summons did not specifically mention the names of the suspects in the case for which he was to be questioned.
"Our client is very sorry for not being able to meet the police`s summons," he said.
Assegaf said members of Susno Duadji`s lawyers` team had met with the National Police`s chief detective, Commissioner General Ito Sumardi, to ask him about the absence of suspects` names in the summons.
He said previous police questioning processes were conducted professionally but there were indications the police would later name Susno a suspect and arrest him.
"It has become a rumor. Of course, we are concerned," he said.
Earlier, Chief Criminal Investigator Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi said that police independent investigators had the authority to change Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji`s status from witness to suspect and to detain him.
"There is a rule which stipulates that the team of independent investigators has the full right to carry out investigation, including naming Pak (Mr) Susno a suspect and detain him," Ito said.
Comr. Gen. Ito made the statement in connection with the failure of Susno Duadji to meet the police`s first summons on Thursday and the fear of Susno`s lawyers that their client would be named a suspect and detained.
The independent investigators would have questioned former chief Susno Duadji at Police Headquarters on Thursday in connection with tax official Gayus Tambunan tax fraud case and alleged money embezzlement at PT Salma Arowana Lestari.
Because he did not show up on Thursday at the police headquarters for examinations, investigators sent Susono a second summons on Thursday for questioning on Monday.
"The summons was sent on Thursday," Police Headquarters` Spokesman Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang said.
The police spokesman said Susno`s lawyer questioned the summons as it did not mention the name of the suspect nor the case over which Susno would be questioned, and that this was the reason his client had not met the summons.
Edward Aritonang said the Code of Criminal Procedures (Kuhap) did not require a summons to mention the name of a suspect.
"In fact, Pak (Mr) Susno was to be questioned to identify or determine the suspect," the police headquarters` spokesman said. The two-star general said the format of the second summons was the same as the first one, namely it did not contain the name of a suspect.
Jakarta, May 10(ANTARA) - The whistle-blower on case brokering practices within the police force, Commissioner General Susno Duaji, was on Monday named a suspect in the Arwana fish breeding case after police investigators had grilled him since morning.
Susno Duaji, the National Police's former chief detective, became a suspect after being questioned by an independent team for having allegedly received a bribe amounting to Rp500 million from Syahril Johan in the Arwana case in 2008, the National Polcie Headquarters' official spokesman, Inspector General Edward Aritonang, said here Monday.
Susno who became popular for having revealed a Rp25 billon-worth tax fraud case involving roque tax official Gayus Tambunan was questioned by police after telling the House's commission III that there was a case-brokering network bigger than the one involving Gayus Tambunan with Sjahril Djohan as the key player.
Then, the police attempted to deepen their probe into the case after receiving testimony from Shahril Johan, a legal broker officially implicated in the Gayus-related bribery case, that Susno had received a bribe from him in the Arwana case in 2008, Aritonang told the press.
The naming of Susno Duaji as a suspect in the case made his lawyers confused, because the questioning conducted by the independent team had actually completed the process of grilling and then Susno had to sign a letter on the completion of the probe on the case.
Mohammad Assegaf, one of Susno's lawyers, after accompanying his client at the police headquartera, expressed confusion about the police's action against his client.
According Assegaf, after his client had signed a document on his statements as a witness , the police investigators showed him a warrant for his detention.
"It was a trap. Why should Susno who has been quite cooperative in the investigation suddenly be named a suspect and detained straightaway," he said.
Until now, Assegaf said, the police investigation team had yet to inform him and other lawyers acting as Susno's legal counsels about the reasons for their client's detention.
According to the law, police could detain a suspect if they believe he or she would flee the country, destroy evidences or repeat the alleged criminal offense, he said.
Assegaf said the reasons used by the investigating team was probably based on made-up charges. "The main point is that Susno has been trapped into becoming a suspect after being grilled over the Arwana case," he said.
Another member of Susno's lawyers' team, Henry Yosodiningrat, said that the the police's independent investigation team had claimed they already had enough evidences to name Susno suspect in the flow of Arwana case-related bribe money.
But Henry said the police team's claim was to be doubted because what they had desribed as evidence was only based on certain people's statements.
"The police have so far grilled four persons as witnesses but it is premature to detain Susno merely on the basis of their statements," he said, adding the naming of Susno as suspect was really illogical, because it was Susno himself who had uncovered the case in the first place.
About Susno's detention itself, his lawyers' team was now preparing to file a pre-trial suit against the police's action on account of police statements which did not synchronize with each other.
Commenting on Susno Duaji's detention, National Police Chief General Bambang Hendarso Danuri said the police's investigation team had full authority to do so.
He denied that Susno Duaji was treated improperly during the questioning at the National Police Headquarters on Monday.
"It is impossible to treat him improperly because he is still an active and high-ranking police officer," Danuri said.
Last Thursday, Susno did not show up for questioning as a witness, because the summons did not include the name of a suspect.
Assegaf said his client was reluctant to come to the national police headquarters because the summons did not specifically mention the names of the suspects in the case for which he was to be questioned.
"Our client is very sorry for not being able to meet the police`s summons," he said.
Assegaf said members of Susno Duadji`s lawyers` team had met with the National Police`s chief detective, Commissioner General Ito Sumardi, to ask him about the absence of suspects` names in the summons.
He said previous police questioning processes were conducted professionally but there were indications the police would later name Susno a suspect and arrest him.
"It has become a rumor. Of course, we are concerned," he said.
Earlier, Chief Criminal Investigator Comr. Gen. Ito Sumardi said that police independent investigators had the authority to change Comr. Gen. Susno Duadji`s status from witness to suspect and to detain him.
"There is a rule which stipulates that the team of independent investigators has the full right to carry out investigation, including naming Pak (Mr) Susno a suspect and detain him," Ito said.
Comr. Gen. Ito made the statement in connection with the failure of Susno Duadji to meet the police`s first summons on Thursday and the fear of Susno`s lawyers that their client would be named a suspect and detained.
The independent investigators would have questioned former chief Susno Duadji at Police Headquarters on Thursday in connection with tax official Gayus Tambunan tax fraud case and alleged money embezzlement at PT Salma Arowana Lestari.
Because he did not show up on Thursday at the police headquarters for examinations, investigators sent Susono a second summons on Thursday for questioning on Monday.
"The summons was sent on Thursday," Police Headquarters` Spokesman Insp. Gen. Edward Aritonang said.
The police spokesman said Susno`s lawyer questioned the summons as it did not mention the name of the suspect nor the case over which Susno would be questioned, and that this was the reason his client had not met the summons.
Edward Aritonang said the Code of Criminal Procedures (Kuhap) did not require a summons to mention the name of a suspect.
"In fact, Pak (Mr) Susno was to be questioned to identify or determine the suspect," the police headquarters` spokesman said. The two-star general said the format of the second summons was the same as the first one, namely it did not contain the name of a suspect.
