Megawati ‘arrogant’ for not complying to KPK summons

The Jakarta Post | Mon, 02/21/2011 1:21 PM | National

The lawyer representing Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politicians detained for allegedly receiving bribes says party chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri is arrogant for not attending a KPK summons to testify that his clients are innocent.

Megawati was summoned to testify for several PDI-P politicians, including former legislator Max Moein, in a case of alleged bribery surrounding the election of former Bank Indonesia senior deputy governor Miranda S Goeltom in 2004.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), handling the case, said the request for her testimony had been made by one of the detained politicians.

However, Megawati, who is also former president, failed to attend the summons at the KPK office on Monday.

“In relation to her refusal [to attend], [Megawati] feels she is above the law. This shows her arrogance,” said Petrus Selestinus, a lawyer for Max Moein and several other politicians, on Monday as quoted by kompas.com.

Megawati should not excuse herself as a former president and party chairwoman, but as a member of society who is not above the law, Petrus said.

“She should realize her presence at the KPK is in the public interest,” he said.

Court delayed issuing Ba’asyir summons: Prosecutors

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Thu, 02/10/2011 2:21 PM | National

South Jakarta Prosecutors Office says the district court was responsible for the late summons issued for a hearing on Thursday to noted terrorism defendant Abubakar Baasyir, which had led to the postponement of the hearing.

At the first hearing of his terrorism trial on Thursday, Baasyir immediately said he had received the official court summons too late, and the panel of judges at South Jakarta District Court subsequently postponed the hearing until Monday.

“We gave the order and informed Ba’asyir [regarding the hearing],” prosecutors' office chief M. Yusuf, said Thursday in Jakarta, adding that his office had only received the summons letter on Monday.

“The summons should have been issued on February 4, given that February 5-6 was a weekend,” he said, as quoted by Antara.