The Attorney General's Office Searches Rp27 Billion In Cash Handed Over By Maqdir Ismail, Lawyer Irwan Hermawan

Kapuspenkum Kejagung Ketut Sumedana and Director of Investigation Jampidsus Kejagung Kuntadi (center) ANTARA/Laily Rahmawaty.

JAKARTA - Director of Investigation of the Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes (Dirdik Jampidsus) of the Attorney General's Office Kuntadi said that his party had received USD 1.8 million or approximately IDR 27 billion from Irwan Hermawan through his attorney Maqdir Ismail. However, the status of the money is still being investigated.

According to Kuntadi, the legal status of the Rp27 billion is not yet clear, whether as evidence, as a return on state financial losses or findings.

"We still need deepening in order to determine the status of the money, whether it can really be used for evidence or to recover state losses or even just findings," Kuntadi said as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, July 13.

Kuntadi explained that his party needed to position the legal status of the money, because the treatment and legal impacts were different whether the money for the handover, findings or evidence.

Therefore, his party asked for information from Maqdir Ismail, Irwan Hermawan's attorney to dig up the origins of the money.

"Without clarity on the origin, related to this case, this money will also have to take into account by still not being able to sit it down just like that," said Kuntadi.

From the results of the examination of Maqdir Ismail today, Kuntadi continued, his party received information that the USD 1.8 million was handed over by someone with the initials S.

"That he said he didn't know who gave it, his initials were S, but the background and results included that until today we don't know," said Kuntadi.

For this reason, said Kuntadi, his party also conducted an examination at Maqdir Ismail's office in Kemang to find evidence related to who had handed over the money.

Meanwhile, Maqdir Ismail was met after the examination and handover of the Rp27 billion money, saying that the handover of the money was in good faith, his client Irwan Hermawan in making clear the mega corruption case for the BTS 4G Kominfo construction project.

He said the money he handed over was worth 1.8 million USD if converted into a rupiah exchange rate of more than Rp. 15 thousand from the nominal Rp. 27 billion.

The money, continued Maqdir, was received by his party from a party that intends to help his client Irwan Hermawan in the 4G Kominfo BTS corruption case.

"The person did not mention where this money came from and also did not mention who this money was related to, it was only said that this money was to help Irwan Hermawan," said Maqdir.