Nazaruddin won`t "speak up"

The public cannot expect too much in terms of disclosure of other corruption cases if graft suspect Nazaruddin remains silent and continues to claim he has forgotten all the statements he made when he was on the run overseas.

Nazaruddin, who is a former treasurer of the ruling Democrat Party (PD), said on Thursday he had forgotten all things relating to his statements overseas and promised not to disclose anything that would smear the image of the PD if his wife and children were protected.

According to House Speaker Marzuki Alie who is also former secretary general of the Democrat Party, Nazaruddin had the right to remain silent or speak up.

"Nazaruddin, although he is a suspect, has rights. Whether he wants to speak up or remain silent, it`s his right, and we should respect it," Marzuki Alie.

During TV interviews while on the run abroad, Nazaruddin, who is a corruption suspect linked to the construction of an athlete village in South Sumatra, accused several PD leaders, including chairman Anas Urbanigrum, of involvement in corruption.

He also mentioned that the tender winners of the Hambalang athlete training center project in Bogor, West Java, where a firm belonging to Anas was also involved, had been arranged even before the tenders were called for.

Yet, his statements on Thursday that he had forgotten what he had said during his hiding abroad, would not eliminate public suspicions, even though he did not make any account of the other cases in court.

Secretary General of the Indonesian Advocates Association (AAI) Jhonson Panjaitan said Nazaruddin, who is also a member of the House of Representatives (DPR), would not disclose corruption cases other than that linked to the SEA Games athlete village project in Palembang, South Sumatra.

"Nazaruddin stressed he would not reveal other cases," Jhonson said. Therefore, Jhonson suggested that the public should not hope too much that there would be many other cases which would be uncovered in connection with the arrest of Nazaruddin.

Nazaruddin was arrested in Cartagena, Colombia, last week and was flown to Indonesia on Saturday after he was hiding in foreign countries for more than two months. He fled to Singapore a day before he was banned to travel abroad by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on May 23, 2011.

The KPK has said that Nazaruddin allegedly played roles in different graft cases involving 35 government projects in several ministries, worth a total of Rp6.037 trillion.

When he was on the run, Nazaruddin during the TV interviews was firm in stating the involvement of several figures in corruption cases but during his first examination by the KPK on Thursday he showed a very different attitude.

Jhonson believed the change in the attitude of Nazaruddin was due to his concern on the safety of his wife, Neneng Sriwahyuni. "Nazaruddin was suffering from depression because his wife was trapped in the mafia," Jhonson said. 

He said the matter was indicated in Nazaruddin`s remarks at the KPK building. Nazaruddin expressed briefly his request that his family should be protected. Only several hours after he was grilled by the KPK, he pleaded guilty and asked that he be punished right away.

Nazaruddin claimed he had already forgotten all things relating to the statements he had made during his travels as a fugitive abroad.

"Don`t harm my wife and children. I have forgotten all things. I admit I have made mistakes. If need be, I can be punished right away, no need to be investigated," he said.

Bambang Soesatyo, a member of Law Commission III of the House of Representatives (DPR) said the public believed Nazaruddin was not alone in the corrupt acts he is accused of.

"Therefore, we hope the KPK can uncover what has really happened in connection with Nazaruddin`s decision to shut his mouth and his readiness to sacrifice himself in the case," the legislator from the Golkar Party said.

Nazaruddin`s lawyer, OC Kaligis, had said that Nazaruddin planned to keep silent during the investigation by KPK. "His lawyer has also said that he had expressed readiness to sacrifice himself in exchange for the safety of his wife and children," Soesatyo said.

In view of the situation he said there was no reason for KPK for not unveiling a possible conspiracy behind Nazaruddin`s case. "I reaffirm that the public hopes very much that the KPK will be able to unveil what has really happened," he said.

OC Kaligis said his client had been under pressure and for this reason Nazaruddin had asked to be moved from the detention cell of the Mobile Police Headquarters (Mako) in Kelapa Dua, Depok, West Java, to the Cipinang Penitentiary in east Jakarta.

"The first questioning has been completed. He asked to be moved to Cipinang so that he could feel free for examinations," OC Kaligis said.

Yet police said Nazaruddin was not under any pressure while at Mako`s detention.

"Prisoners at the Mobile Brigade Headquarters are not under pressure because we protect their human rights," National Police Headquarters` spokesman Inspector General Anton Bachrul Alam said.

Earlier, Law and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar also assured the public that graft suspect Nazaruddin was not under any kind of pressure because if he was, he would no doubt have spoken out about it

Source: ANTARA