KPK DETAINS FORMER BANK JABAR BRANCH DIRECTOR

Jakarta, July 31 (ANTARA) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Thursday night detained Umar Syarifuddin, former president director of Bank Jabar's Banten branch, as a suspect in alleged corruption.

Umar's lawyer Jonas M Sihaloho said here on Friday his client was put in a KPK car at 11:15 before midnight and driven to the Cipinang State Penitentiary in East Jakarta.

"The KPK questioned Umar for clarification before detaining him," Jonas said, adding that the questioning was not about the substance of the alleged corruption in Bank Jabar's Banten branch.

Meanwhile, KPK spokesman Johan Budi said Umar was detained because he had not been cooperative in KPK's investigation into the case.

"We arrested Umar Syarifuddin in the house of a shaman in the Rangkas Bitung area, Banten," Johan Budi said.
He said the KPK had named Umar a suspect in the embezzlement of money from tax and capital from some 30 branches of Bank Jabar between 2003 to 2005 that caused a loss of about Rp37 billion to the state.

According to the KPK spokesman, Umar was arrested after twice failing to meet a KPK summons, namely on July 17 and July 23, 2009.

Umar was summoned to appear at the KPK office on Friday, July 17, 2009, or one day after the Commission detained former Manpower and Transmigration Ministry official Musni Tambusai for an alleged corruption.

The KPK spokesman said Musni was suspected of involvement in the embezzlement of money from the Oil and Gas Sector Workers Savings and Severance Pay Fund Foundation from 2003 to 2008 which caused a loss of about Rp107 billion and US$328,000 to the state.

The KPK investigation team on Thursday also questioned former
Home Affairs Minister Hari Sabarno in connection with an alleged corruption case.

When Hari Sabarno arrived at KPK office, he did not talk much to the reporters but said he would undergo the KPK questioning as a witness.