http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/jailed-ex-mp-ni-luh-mariani-tirtasari-at-mercy-of-indonesian-justice/story-e6frg6so-1226020718915
Jailed ex-MP, Ni Luh Mariani Tirtasari, at mercy of Indonesian justice From: The Australian March 14, 2011 12:00AM THE mills of Indonesian justice grind slowly and they grind exceedingly lumpily; just ask Ni Luh Mariani Tirtasari. Ms Mariani is a diabetic 69-year-old grandmother, today spending her 46th day in Pondok Bambu prison, in a cell where she says 17 people share a single squat lavatory. She is a former MP and a suspect in Mirandagate, one of the more blatant of the various political bribery scandals under investigation by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Ms Mariani says she's innocent and the Australian government, which helps train KPK personnel, should pay more critical attention to a watchdog that "violates human rights, (is) controlled by political interests and cannot prevent or reduce corruption incidents". Her son, Wayan Raimantera, who lives on the Gold Coast, says: "My mum thinks that because KPK's investigators are policemen, they are reluctant to pursue key people in this case because of their high positions." Mirandagate is so called because in June 2004 somebody dished out 24 billion rupiah ($2.73 billion) for the parliamentary finance committee to choose Bank Indonesia official Miranda Goeltom as the central bank's deputy governor. The source of the wads of Rp50,000 travellers cheques has not been named but they were allegedly distributed by businesswoman Nunun Nurbaeti Daradjatun, wife of Prosperous Justice Party MP Adang Daradjatun. He used to be deputy chief of the national police. On January 28, KPK rounded up 19 former MPs; 12 of them, including Ms Mariani, from Megawati Sukarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party-Struggle (PDI-P) and seven from Golkar, and detained them as suspects. Ms Miranda remains free, though banned from travelling abroad, and is still designated only as "witness". She has, however, submitted herself to KPK questioning. Ms Nunun, a "social friend", disappeared from Jakarta early last year and is said to be in Singapore. According to her husband, she is in hospital. Her Jakarta doctor says she is in no condition to help KPK because "Ibu Nunun's memory is disrupted (by) chronic dementia". KPK has sent investigators fruitlessly to Singapore - Mr Adang, the former policeman and current parliamentarian, won't say where his wife is being treated - but has taken no steps to legally force her return. Meanwhile, former president Ms Megawati has haughtily ignored a summons to appear before the KPK as a witness. The commission won't press her, a particular disappointment to Ms Mariani and the other PDI-P suspects, who hoped Ms Megawati's testimony could help clear them. Most of the PDI-P suspects in detention have testified they were given envelopes of cheques by Dudhie Makmun Murod, the now-jailed party treasurer, with instructions to campaign for Ms Megawati's re-election as president that September. Ms Mariani received an envelope containing cheques for Rp500 million. She said she spent the funds as instructed campaigning in East Kalimantan and thought no more of it until a PDI-P whistleblower surfaced in 2008. "I thought it was party funds and I was told 'This is for the presidential election' and I have a letter from the party asking me to campaign," she told The Australian. "I want my name cleared. I was a teacher; I worked for Kompas Gramedia (a media conglomerate) for 30 years. I was a property manager; I earned my own way - no hanky panky." What pains Ms Mariani most about her detention - which may end on March 28 or be extended another month - is that she cannot go to church. An observant Catholic like most Flores people, she says KPK's refusal to allow her to be escorted to mass further shows its disregard for human rights. Her husband, Made Rigeh, laughed sharply when asked why Ms Mariani became involved in politics. "As far as I remember, when Megawati was suppressed during the Suharto times, my wife was very much in sympathy and when democracy came she wanted to join her party." [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------------------ Post message: prole...@egroups.com Subscribe : proletar-subscr...@egroups.com Unsubscribe : proletar-unsubscr...@egroups.com List owner : proletar-ow...@egroups.com Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: proletar-dig...@yahoogroups.com proletar-fullfeatu...@yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: proletar-unsubscr...@yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
