Judges Strictly Warns Azis Syamsuddin: Brothers Just Face This Problem, Don't Think Approaching Judges

Azis Syamsuddin/ Antara

JAKARTA - The chairman of the panel of judges, Muhammad Damis, reminded former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Azis Syamsuddin and his team of legal advisers not to approach the judges. He asked Azis to focus on his problem.

"I want to remind you of a few things. First, you just have to deal with this problem, you don't have to think about taking care of your case, let alone think about approaching the panel of judges, please don't do that. Otherwise, we will declare that it is not proven and will be released," said Judge Damis at the Corruption Court, Monday, December 6.

Responding to this, Azis promised not to do so. "Yes, Your Majesty," replied Azis.

"Secondly, I ask you and your legal advisory team to prepare from now on if you will present a favorable witness. Please from time to time we will convey your rights, prepare now. When we want to present the witness, it can be submitted," added Judge Damis as reported by Antara. .

Meanwhile, the Public Prosecutor (JPU) of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) plans to present 20 witnesses in the trial of alleged bribery related to the handling of the KPK investigation in Central Lampung with the defendant former Deputy Speaker of the DPR Azis Syamsuddin.

"Based on our plan, if there are no problems there will be about 4-5 times (trials), we will present 20 witnesses," said KPK Public Prosecutor Lie Putra Setiawan.

In this case, Muhammad Azis Syamsuddin was charged with giving bribes worth IDR 3,099 billion and US$ 36,000 for a total of around IDR 3,619 billion to former KPK investigator Stepanus Robin Pattuju and advocate Maskur Husain related to the management of the KPK investigation in Central Lampung.

"For the next trial there will be 4-5 witnesses," added prosecutor Lie.

This case begins with an investigation into allegations of corruption in the form of receiving gifts or promises related to the management of the Special Allocation Fund (DAK) of the Central Lampung Regency Budget for the 2017 Fiscal Year since October 8, 2019. In the investigation, Azis Syamuddin and Aliza Gunado were suspected of being the recipients. bribe.

Aliza Gunado is the former Deputy Chairperson of the PP Youth Forces of the Golkar Party (AMPG) who was once the Business Director of the Lampung Jasa Utama Regional Owned Enterprise (BUMD) as well as a confidant of Azis Syamsuddin.

"Knowing that he and Aliza Gunado were also suspected of being the perpetrators of the corruption crime of accepting gifts related to the administration of the DAK APBN-P of Central Lampung Regency, the defendant then tried not to make himself and Aliza Gunado a suspect by the KPK, by seeking assistance from KPK investigators," said the prosecutor. Public Prosecutor (JPU) of the KPK Lie Putra Setiawan.

Azis then asked for the help of a member of the National Police, Agus Supriyadi, to be introduced to the KPK investigators, and Agus succeeded in introducing Azis to Stepanus Robin, who has been a KPK investigator since August 15, 2019, from the National Police.

Stepanus Robin and Maskur Husain expressed their willingness to help in exchange for a sum of Rp. 4 billion with a calculation of Rp. 2 billion each from Azis and Aliza Gunado, with an advance of Rp. 300 million and Azis agreed.

Azis gave the advance payment to Stepanus Robin and Maskur Husain, with the distribution of Stepanus Robin receiving Rp. 100 million and Maskur Husain receiving Rp. 200 million. The money was transferred from Azis' BCA account in four stages, each amounting to IDR 50 million, namely on 2, 3, 4 and 5 August 2020.

On August 5, 2020, Azis again gave 100 thousand US dollars in cash to Stepanus Robin at Azis' official residence on Jalan Denpasar Raya, South Jakarta.

Part of the US dollar money that Azis gave, amounting to 36 thousand US dollars, was handed over to Maskur Husain in front of the Central Jakarta District Court, while the remaining 64 thousand US dollars was exchanged at a "money changer" using Agus Susanto's identity for a total of Rp 936 million.

Part of the money from the exchange was given to Maskur Husain of Rp. 300 million in early September 2020 at the Borero Keramat Sentiong restaurant.

In addition to these gifts, from August 2020 to March 2021, Azis also gave money to Stepanus Robin and Maskur Husain several times, the total amount being 171,900 Singapore dollars and was exchanged for IDR 1,863,887,000.

Some of the money was then given to Maskur Husain, namely in early September 202 in the amount of IDR 1 billion and IDR 800 million still in September 2020.

For his actions, Azis was threatened with criminal under article 5 paragraph 1 letter a or article 13 of Law no. 31 of 1999 as amended by Law no. 20 of 2001 concerning the Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption in conjunction with Article 64 paragraph 1 of the Criminal Code.

Against the indictment, Azis Syamsuddin did not file a memorandum of objection (exception).

"After we discussed it, we did not use the right of exception and we can prove it," said Azis' legal adviser, Rivai Kurumanegara.