Asked About Mardani Maming's Legal Status, Firli Bahuri: Wait For The Moment

Firli Bahuri, chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). (Antaranews)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Firli Bahuri said his party was still waiting for the right time to officially announce the status of suspect Mardani H. Maming.

The announcement of the status of the suspect, the former Tanah Bumbu Regent, has been based on statements from the Directorate General of Immigration which has received a request for prevention abroad from the Corruption Eradication Commission. The prevention of the General Treasurer of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board was carried out for six months.

"Waiting for the time we will announce it," said Firli to reporters at the DPR RI Building, Senayan, Central Jakarta, quoted on Friday, July 1.

Meanwhile, Acting Spokesperson for the KPK for Enforcement, Ali Fikri, said that his party was continuing to look for evidence to investigate the alleged bribery of mining permits. The examination of witnesses has been carried out and nine people have been summoned.

Those examined, continued Ali, came from a number of elements such as the private sector, state civil servants (ASN), and lawyers. However, he did not specify what was investigated from the examination of the witnesses.

"So far, about 9 people have been summoned as witnesses consisting of private parties, civil servants, and lawyers," Ali told reporters, Thursday, June 30.

Ali said that the witness examination process would not be disturbed by anything. Including, the pretrial submission by the General Chairperson of the Indonesian Young Entrepreneurs Association (Hipmi).

"The collection of evidence, of course, will continue even though there is a pretrial application," he said.

"The statements of the witnesses strengthen the evidence of the article elements in the process of investigating this case," he continued.

Before being named a suspect, Mardani had been questioned by the KPK some time ago. However, after being questioned, he 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's name was actually mentioned as receiving Rp89 billion in money in a trial for alleged bribery of a mining business permit (IUP) in Tanah Bumbu Regency which was held at the Tipikor 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.