A Ball of Yarn: the KPK Saga

“A ball of yarn” is an expression used in Indonesia to describe a very complicated matter, multi-faceted, inter-connected. No article powerful enough to explain the matter completely, you are never sure what is the root of things and certainly how the story would end.

Just explaining the latest battle between the Corruption Eradication Commission and the National Police – Attorney General’s Office to a fellow reporter is a struggle. If someone was to write a book on the subject, it would certainly be a best seller. But the project would be far into the future as today there are more questions than answer.

About several weeks back, before the sensational wiretapped conversations which reveal an apparent plot to weaken the antigraft body, I was given a task by my editor to write an elaborate article which might shed light on the whole matter. Considering today’s readers are too lazy to read long articles, I decided to split my stories into three separate articles.

But my paper never ran the story. The latest development, lack of space forced my story to be dropped, or as the popular term suggest: “Killed”. Which led me to publish it on the most obvious outlet: the blogosphere.

Enjoy.

 

Century Saga Sparked by an Apparent Love Affair

The fall and rebirth of PT Bank Century, which is now renamed into Bank Mutiara has attracted widespread controversies, speculations and public outrage. The issue has even led to tensions between two of the country’s law enforcing agencies. But oblivious from public view, the case started with an alleged love affair.

In 2006, there was no marketing executive in the bank more skilful than 45 year old Lila Gondokusumo, while for Lila there was no bigger fish to fry than Boedi Sampoerna, a prominent tycoon who at the time had just sold his family’s cigarette empire PT Hanjaya Mandala Sampoerna to Phillip Morris for a record $2 billion.

“She was a great marketer, attracting big depositors. If anyone could seal the deal it would be Lila,” one of her colleagues told the Jakarta Globe. “But she would travel great lengths to get a client, taking them to fancy restaurants, to trips abroad to unethical methods like dating them and having sex with them.”

Lila is now awaiting verdict at a district court in East Java for defrauding the customers into buying a fraudulent investment scheme issued by PT Antaboga Delta Securitas, which was then on offer by the bank. During her trial, several witnesses alleged that Lila had offered them sex in exchange for their investments.

Pertarungan Abad Ini: Cicak Melawan Buaya Sementara Tikus Menari dan Rakyat Merana

Nivell Rayda*
Kadang saya suka miris sendiri melihat orang tetap dengan riangnya jalan2 di mall, cari bukaan buat besok puasa, baju baru untuk anak, atau sekedar cuci mata kongkow kongkow. Sementara sepasang remaja cekakak cekikik sambil menghembuskan rokoknya di sebuah restoran membicarakan hal2 yang teramat remeh temeh. Tidak tahukah negara ini diambang kekacauan? Tidak tahukah mereka sebuah institusi yang menjadi garda terakhir dan tumpuan satu-satunya terhadap pemberantasan korupsi di negeri ini sedang berusaha dihancurkan?

Institusi ini bernama KPK. Walau masih banyak kritikan terhadap lembaga yang baru saja lepas dari balita, kepercayaan masyarakat sudah sangat membuktikan harapan publik akan sebuah negeri yang bebas dari KKN. Terbukti ada 30.000 lebih laporan yang masuk ke KPK, dengan sedikitnya SDM yang ada, hanya segelintir dugaan korupsi yang bisa masuk ke persidangan.

Ada sebuah upaya sistemik untuk memberantas Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi. Dengan begitu banyaknya koruptor dipenjarakan, KPK sudah terlampau banyak menuai musuh. Apalagi diduga kuat KPK saat ini sedang bergerak terlampau dengan pucuk kekuasaan di negeri ini.

Alhasil habislah sudah dukungan terhadap KPK, baik dari eksekutif dan legislatif. Masyarakat bisa menilai sendiri, apa maksud testimoni Antasari Azhar? Sepucuk surat empat halaman dari seorang pemimpin KPK yang punya masa lalu kelabu, yang kini dijadikan acuan polisi untuk memperkarakan kasus penyuapan PT Masaro yang dikabarkan akan menyeret petinggi-petinggi KPK yang lain.

Apa pula arti sebuah rekaman yang diambil Antasari saat ia bertemu dengan Anggoro? Sebuah rekaman dari pengakuan seorang tersangka korupsi, yang pasti akan dengan gigihnya seret sana seret sini demi menyelamatkan diri sendiri. Parahnya lagi, pengakuan Anggoro didasarkan oleh pengakuan anak buahnya yang mengaku bahwa seseorang yang mengaku-ngaku dari KPK telah bagi-bagi uang ke pimpinan dan penyidik di institusi yang sedang dicoba dihancurkan ini.

Dua hal ini memang tidak cukup untuk dijadikan bukti. Jangankan di persidangan, di penyidikan pun tidak akan laku. Lantas kenapa polisi menggebu-gebu untuk menyikapi testimoni dan rekaman ini? Bahkan menurut tim pengacara kondang Antasari, polisi menyuruh Antasari untuk membuat kronologi terjadinya rekaman yang tersimpan di laptop Antasari. Apa maksud semua ini? Apa benar ada dugaan suap? Atau jangan2 ada permainan tingkat tinggi di balik semua ini?

Antasari Reported for Defamation

The Corruption Eradication Commission reported its own chief to the Jakarta Police on Tuesday along with two people suspected of impersonating KPK officers for fraud and extortion.

The commission, also known as the KPK reported Antasari Azhar, who has been under suspension as he was detained by police for murder. While under police custody, Antasari told police that his colleagues had taken bribe money from a businessman.

Bibit Samad Riyanto, the KPK deputy on graft investigation and prosecution said that the allegations were slanderous. Antasari was also reported for misconduct and violating the 2003 law on KPK.

Abdullah Hehamahua, the commission advisor reiterated that the KPK does not have employees named Eddy Sumarsono and Ary Muladi.

The two names came to the spotlight on Monday when a lawyer, Bonarat Situmeang told reporters that the two had claimed to be KPK officers and asked for Rp 5.1 billion from his client, Anggoro Widjaja, the director of PT Masaro Radiokom.

“We also report Ary and Eddy to the police with charges of fraud, extortion and defaming the KPK,” Abdullah said. Since the commission was established in 2003, there had been at least 100 people arrested for impersonating KPK officer.

“We will also summon Anggoro’s lawyer to clarify several matters. Where he got the names from? Why hasn’t he reported the alleged extortion to the KPK or other authorities? How can he become Anggoro’s lawyer when Anggoro’s is still at large?”

The King

 

I was reluctant at first to write about the death of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, simply because the fact that it has been topping the list of trending topics on Twitter, radio stations worldwide have been playing his hit songs, media has been covering his death non stop and suddenly we see all this Jacko experts start popping out of obscurity.

But the reason why I did was simply because I can clearly remember where I was when I heard the news.

For the record: I was at home, fresh from the bed, hadn’t bathe, hadn’t checked my emails yet or my twitter or my facebook, hadn’t even watched the television, when suddenly I got a call from a friend, whom I promised to be a guest lecturer at his class but didn’t because I overslept. He told me, how his class started playing Jacko’s song because Michael Jackson just died. 

I said….what…?? Michael Jackson just died???

You don’t just remember where you were when somebody died, or some important or tragic event takes place unless that someone means a lot to you, you have some sort of a connection with the deceased or perhaps that someone was an icon. I don’t remember where I was when former Indonesian dictator Suharto died in 2008, but I do remember where I was or how shocked I was when Princess Diana died and that was eleven years before Suharto died.     

I’m not going to talk about his music and what he means to me or the music industry or some cheesy nostalgia like my favorite Jackson song…but the impact of his music, career, life, controversy and now death without a doubt had a profound impact to the so-called “MTV generation”. 

Original Article: “The Miranda Project

There was a heated debate at the Corruption Eradication Commission executive meeting in July 2008. The nature of the discussion was whether or not to open a 2004 central bank bribery case and supposedly a very strong opponent was Antasari Azhar, a source at the commission said.

“It’s a difficult case, too difficult,” the source quoted the suspended KPK chief as saying at the meeting. “We’re dealing with a case that’s already four years old, he said. And with only twenty minutes into the meeting, the chief quickly called the meeting over.”

A week prior to the meeting, now former Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Agus Condro Prayitno told KPK investigators that he had received Rp 500 million in traveler’s checks shortly after he voted for a senior economist Miranda Goeltom to Bank Indonesia senior deputy governor post.

With almost a year since Agus’ confession, the commission declared four current and former lawmakers as suspects in the case earlier this month after, the source described “The single biggest obstacle to opening the case has been removed.” The source was referring to Antasari.

What is a name?

Noval…?Ical…?Vinal…?…Misal…?

I’ve been called all sorts of name. It’s hard having an unpronounceable name, especially if you’re in the media. Your source can’t remember you, even though you have called about a million time. You have keep repeating and reminding who you are, where your from and of course what your name is.

So is my reporter friends in the early days when I start to pop up at the court or the anti-graft commission. I think some of them still forget my name. They know the face, they know what paper I’m working for, but they don’t know my name. But hey, I don’t care.

Not to mention the many versions of pronunciation. No one is exactly sure how to pronounce it. I have watched and noticed that it takes at least seven tries for people to say my name properly or at least the popular one. I’m not even entirely sure how to pronounce it. I don’t care basically. Me old boss even resort to just simply “hey you”.

Even a Corruption Suspect Launched a Digital Campaign

Despite being arrested, National Mandate Party or PAN lawmaker Abdul Hadi Djamal’s blog abdulhadijamal.blogspot.com is still active and maintains the politician’s innocence.

An unknown author deleted all previous contents and posted three articles urging people not to taunt Abdul Hadi and continue to show support.

Posted by “underconstruction” Tuesday 22:33

Corrupt? In Makassar Hadi didn’t even have a house

“How could he have done so, he didn’t live lavishly. Whenever he come to Makassar he stayed at my house,” said his father

His car is only a Terano (Nissan), Hadi before becoming a lawmaker was a successful businessman and an important official in Bukaka (South Sulawesi).

Compare that with other officials. You’ll be the judge.

Both you or the South Sulawesi province and a lot of people has had help directly from his pocket or from the government projects that he had fought for.

C’mon if he had done anything it is for your benefit and South Sulawesi’s best interest. Don’t just sit there and do nothing or worse mock and taunt him as if you are a saint.

An Inside Peek Into the World Of Jakarta’s Illegal DVD Trade

As reporter you really have to rely on lady luck to be at the right place and at the right time.

I was hunting for some DVDs, pirated ones in a local mall when suddenly there was a commotion. Out of the blue the salesgirl just close down the metal gate to the stores I was in and lock us all inside.

“There’s a raid,” she said but nobody seemed to panic. Once it was all clear she opened her stores again.

Amid the confusion I started to ask question, and one happen to be the owner of the store. And I got my self a story.

An Inside Peek Into the World Of Jakarta’s Illegal DVD Trade

 “Freddy” — who entered Jakarta’s huge pirated video and later pirated DVD market more than 20 years ago — has experienced police raids several times. Yet, he’s still in business.

Shedding new light on the depth of the market, how it works and why pirated DVD stores continue to flourish in Indonesia, Freddy told the Jakarta Globe over the weekend: “It’s a lucrative business. As long as they are people buying, we’ll continue to sell pirated DVDs.”

Pictures of Kapuk Muara

Back to campus

After nearly five years I visited back University of Indonesia, the place I used to call my campus.

I was awestruck, I feel like a tourist. I wish I had a camera, how things have change.  Now you can borrow official UI yellow bike to travel anywhere in the campus area, there’s less ojek than it use to although few can still be spotted. I was told I need to present a student card, so I didn’t get to use it.

No more food stalls on the way between the train station to Humanities Faculty, no more football field to. Just deers, yap deers…like the one in the zoo. Oh and the walkway is perfectly paved, not a crack.

Arriving at Faculty of law, not much has changed. But a stinking rich lawyer firm donated a multimedia room in a screaming red and blue paint.

I felt like an alien just landing to earth. Don’t know where I’m going, I need a guide, or someone to talk to.