KPK Questions PKS Figure As Witness

Jakarta, May 14 (Antara) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) questioned Hilmi Aminuddin, the chairman of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)`s advisory board, as a witness here on Tuesday. He arrived at KPK Building at around 9 am accompanied by several party functionaries such as Aboe Bakar al-Habsy who is also a member of the House of Representatives` Commission III. Hilmi was questioned over bribery and money-laundering cases linked to meat import quota. PKS`s law division member Zainuddin Paru said Hilmi had been summoned as a witness for suspect Ahmad Fathanah, the close associate of former PKS`s president Luthfi Hasan. "He is summoned as a witness for suspect Fathanah in the case of corruption and money laundering linked to meat import quota and also for Luthfi," he said. He said he did not know what questions the investigators would give to Hilmi. "We respect them. We do not know what the questions would be but it would be linked to money laundering," he said. Paru also said he did not know the relations between Luthfi, Fathanah and Suswono, PKS cadre who is now minister of agriculture. Earlier in February KPK questioned Hilmi`s son, Ridwan Hakim, who has been banned from traveling abroad since February 8. Hilmi and Ridwan are known to possess a four-hectare cow ranch in Cibodas, West Java, with around 1,000 heads of cows in it. KPK has so far named five suspects in connection with the bribery case, namely Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, Ahmad Fathanah, Juard Effendi and Arya Abdi Effendi,directors of PT Indoguna Utama, and Maria Elizabeth Liman, the company`s president director. Luthfi and Fathanah have been charged of bribery and money laundering. Elizabeth, Juard and Arya meanwhile have been charged of giving bribes to state officials. Juard and Arya were caught after handing Rp1 billion worth of cash to Fathanah as part of Rp40 billion in bribe pledged in exchange for a meat import quota of up to 8,000 tons. Minister Suswono, Maria Elizabeth Liman, Luthfi Hasan and Ahmad Fathanah once met on January 11 at Hotel Aryaduta in Medan, North Sumatra, to discuss meat import quota.