ANTASARI AZHAR MEETS JAKARTA POLICE'S SUMMONS

Jakarta, May 4 (ANTARA)- Non-active Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Chief Antasari Azhar came to the Jakarta Police Headquarters here Monday to meet a summons for questioning as a witness in the Nararudin murder case.

Antasari, wearing a white shirt and black trousers, and accompanied by his lawyer, Juniver Girsang, arrived at the Jakarta police office at 09.55 a.m. Western Indonesian Standard Time (WIB).

Antasari was reluctant to answer press question about the death of Nasarudin Zulkarnain who was a director of state firm PT Putra Rajawali Banjaran.

Nasarudin was reportedly shot to death by two men riding a motorbike on March 14, 2009 while he was in a car after playing golf at the Modernland Housing Complext in Tangerang, Banten province.

In the meantime, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was waiting for a formal notification from the police relating to the status of Antasari Azhar.

The president's special aide for legal affairs, Denny Indrayana, said here on Saturday (May 2), that the president would only issue a decree to suspend Azhar after an official letter on his status was received from the police.

"After receiving the formal notification from the police who have the authority to investigate the case, the president will issue a decree to suspend Azhar," he said.

He said the stance was in line with Law Number 30 on KPK which in Article 32 states that a KPK chief who is declared a suspect in a criminal case will be suspended from his post by a presidential decree.

However, considering that KPK is an independent institution beyond the government's authority, the KPK should also send a letter to the President on Azhar's status as a suspect in the case and requesting that he be suspended from his post.