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(Jakarta Post) MPR speaker Zulkifli Hasan skips KPK questioning

12/12/2018



People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Zulkifli Hasan failed to show up on Monday for questioning at Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters as part of the antigraft body’s investigation into alleged bribery surrounding the issuance of land-conversion permits in Riau province.

Monday’s scheduled questioning was Zulkifli’s second in two separate land-conversion permit graft cases implicating the former forestry minister. The KPK has arrested Riau Governor Annas Maamun for allegedly accepting a Rp 2 billion bribe from palm oil businessman Gulat Manurung, who was seeking to obtain permits for his oil palm plantation business in Riau from Zulkifli’s ministry.

Gulat allegedly paid the bribe to the 74-year-old governor in return for the issuance of a recommendation to Zulkifli’s office to coax the then minister to approve Gulat’s proposal to convert his 140-hectare oil palm plantation in Kuantan Singingi regency in Riau, which had been planted in an industrial forest area, into a non-forest area.

Riau saw 21,400 hectares of land converted to oil palm plantations from 2011 to 2012, according to the Central Statistics Agency (BPS).

Annas was the second Riau governor netted by the KPK for the botched issuance of land conversion permits after Rusli Zainal, who was sentenced to 14 years in a similar case earlier this year.

The KPK summoned Zulkifli for questioning just two weeks after Annas testified that Zulkifli, in his capacity as forestry minister, had issued a permit to convert the area into a non-forest area.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi said that the antigraft body would have to reschedule questioning for Zulkifli, who left his ministerial post in November.

“Yes, we have to reschedule. But I’m not sure when the questioning will take place,” Johan said on Monday.

The spokesman said that Zulkifli had to attend a mandatory meeting at the MPR building, forcing him to skip Monday’s questioning.

It is still unclear whether Gulat also paid bribes to Forestry Ministry officials, including Zulkifli, in exchange for the ministry’s approval of the businessman’s land conversion proposal.

After being grilled for about 10 hours on Nov. 4, Annas pointed his finger at Zulkifli, saying that the former minister approved half of the proposed 140 hectares in Riau as requested by Gulat.

“There was approval by the minister [Zulkifli]. Half of the proposed land conversion was approved,” Annas said at KPK headquarters on Monday night last week.

Contacted separately, Zulkifli confirmed his no show at KPK headquarters on Monday, saying that he would instead undergo questioning on Tuesday morning.

“I will visit KPK headquarters tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.,” Zulkifli said on Monday.

The Riau case is the second graft case implicating Zulkifli in his capacity as the forestry minister for the 2004-2009 period under former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Shortly after arresting Bogor regent Rachmat Yasin in June for allegedly accepting bribes from an official of PT Bukit Jonggol Asri (BJA), which is 65 percent owned by giant developer PT Sentul City, in regard to a land-conversion permit in Bogor, the KPK questioned Zulkifli to seek clarification.