Inspector General Napoleon Called 20 Thousand US Dollars Evidence Of Case Belonging To Brigadier General Prasetijo Utomo's Wife

Inspector General Napoleon's trial at the Corruption Court in Jakarta, Monday 9 November (Rizky Adytia P / VOI)

JAKARTA - The defendant in the case of alleged bribery for the removal of red notice, Inspector General Napoleon Bonaparte, said that the US $ 20 thousand (US) that was used as evidence in the case was money belonging to the wife of the defendant Brigadier General Prasetijo Utomo.

Inspector General Napoleon conveyed the ownership of the money through his lawyer, Santrawan T. Paparang, during the defendant's exception hearing at the Corruption Court in Central Jakarta, Monday, November 9.

"That 20,000 USD is the legal property of Brigadier General Prasetijo Utomo's wife in the form of rupiah," said Santrawan.

Information regarding the ownership of the money, said Santrawan, was based on direct information from Brigadier General Prasetijo Utomo and Petrus Bala Pattyona. The announcement of the status of ownership of money took place at the South Jakarta District Prosecutor's office, on Friday, October 16.

"Based on direct submissions from Brigadier General Prasetijo Utomo and Petrus Bala Pattyona to us, our legal advisors together with our clients during phase II," he explained.

The money was a request from the Police Propam Division to Brigadier General Prasetijo Utomo. However, because at that time Prasetijo did not have that much money, he asked his wife to prepare it.

"Brigadier General Prasetijo Utomo wrote a letter to his wife asking for 20 thousand US dollars," he said.

Brigadier General Prasetijo Utomo's wife then prepared it. However, it is in rupiah currency so that it can be exchanged at a money changer. Then the money was handed over to the Police Propam Division.

"The rupiah that belonged to the legal wife of Brigadier General Prasetijo Utomo, which had been exchanged in US dollars, on Thursday, July 16, 2020 by the wife of Brigadier General Prasetijo Utomo was handed over to members of the Police Propam Division," he said.

Thus, the 20 thousand US dollars used as evidence by the investigators of Corruption Crime (Tipidkor) of the Police Criminal Investigation Unit is an act against the law and illegitimate.

In the case of the alleged removal of red notice bribery, investigators have named four people as suspects. They act as recipients and givers.

Inspector General Napoleon Bonaparte and Brigadier General Prasetijo Utomo were named as suspects because they were suspected of being the recipients of bribes for the removal of red notice. Meanwhile, Tommy Sumardi and Djoko Tjandra were named as suspects on suspicion of giving bribes.

In the bribery case, investigators confiscated US $ 20 thousand, cellphones, including CCTV as evidence.