President asks police chief to explain Bibit-Chandara`s arrest publicly

Jakarta, Suara Indonesia News - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has asked National Police Chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri to give the public an explanation about the arrest of two suspended KPK (Corruption Eradication Commission) leaders.

"Please explain the matter to the public to clear it up," President Yudhoyono said prior to a closed-door meeting with several ministers at the Presidential office here on Friday.

The head of state called on a number of ministers and related state officials to discuss the case of suspended KPK leaders Bibit Samad Riyanto and Chandra Hamzah who were arrested by the police on Thursday.

Dino Patti Djalal, a presidential spokesman, before accompanying the president at the meeting, told the press that after the meeting, Yudhoyono would tell the public about his view on the matter.

"Later, at 3 pm, the President will give a comprehensive clarification on the case. At 11.15, he called several ministers and state officials to discuss his stance on the matter," Djalal said.

Among those attending the meeting were Police Chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri, Attorney General Hendarman Supandji, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Djoko Suyanto, Law and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar, Minister/State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, and Communication and Informatics Minister Tifatul Sembiring.
Denny Indrayana, a special law adviser to the president, was also present at the meeting.

The National Police Headquarters on Thursday detained Chandra M Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto, two suspended Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputies for alleged abuse of authority and receipt of a bribe.

Deputy chief of the National Police`s Criminal Investigation Department Insp Gen Dikdik Mulyana said here on Thursday that after a long process of questioning, police finally decided to detain the two suspects.

The objective reasons included the fact that the two suspects were liable to a prison sentence of over five years and the evidence was enough for law enforcers to name them suspects.

The subjective reasons in the meantime were that they must be prevented from escaping, hiding evidence and repeating their offense, Dikdik said.

He also said that since the two suspended KPK deputies were named suspects, the police had met with obstacles in their investigation of their case following the emergence of allegations that the KPK leaders were victims of plot to frame them.
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