KPK Makes Sure To Pursue Mardani Maming If Not Present Today

Illustration of the KPK Building in South Jakarta. (Antara)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has confirmed that it will pursue former Tanah Bumbu Regent Mardani H. Maming if he does not visit the KPK's Merah Putih Building in Jakarta today, Thursday, July 28.

Acting KPK Spokesperson for Enforcement, Ali Fikri, said efforts would definitely be made. Moreover, Mardani's attorney has confirmed that his client will come to the KPK after the pretrial decision is made.

The pretrial filed by Mardani at the South Jakarta District Court (PN) has been decided. The panel of judges rejected the application because the KPK had worked according to the applicable regulations.

"Yes (we took them forcibly, ed). We will definitely look for them," Ali told VOI, Thursday, July 28.

Ali hopes that Mardani's lawyers, namely the former Deputy Minister of Law and Human Rights (Wamenkumham) Denny Indrayana and former Deputy Chairman of the KPK Bambang Widjojanto can hold his statement. The trick is to take his client to the anti-corruption commission headquarters.

"We hope that the attorney will fulfill the promise that has been made to the public to attend the KPK with the suspect MM," he said.

"The lawyers are people who have been known to have integrity. So we are sure that we will keep the promises that have been made to the public," continued Ali.

Mardani H. Maming filed a pretrial because he felt he was criminalized after being named a suspect in the alleged bribery and gratification of the mining business permit (IUP) in Tanah Bumbu, South Kalimantan.

During the pretrial process, the KPK sent two summons for examination as a suspect. However, Mardani was not present on the grounds that he was waiting for a pretrial decision so he was finally added to the wanted list (DPO).

Previously, Mardani was named a suspect after being prevented from going abroad by the Directorate General of Immigration at the request of the KPK. Before being named a suspect, he had also been questioned.

However, after being questioned, Mardani admitted that he was asked for information regarding his problem with the owner of PT Jhonlin Group Samsudin Andi Arsyad alias Haji Isam.

Even so, Maming was once said to have received IDR 89 billion in money in a trial for alleged bribery of a mining business license (IUP) in Tanah Bumbu Regency which was held at the Corruption Crime Court, Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan (Kalsel).

This allegation was conveyed by the younger brother of former President Director of PT Prolindo Cipta Nusantara (PCN) Henry Soetio, Christian Soetio. At that time, Christian claimed to know that there was a flow of funds to the former Regent of Tanah Bumbu Mardani H Maming through PT Permata Abadi Raya (PAR) and PT Trans Surya Perkasa (TSP).

The money transfer has been going on since 2014. The amount of tens of billions of rupiah is referred to as the amount quoted based on PT PCN's financial statements.