Police have not enough evidence to charge Indonesia anti-graft top officials

The fact-finding team set up by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has said that the police do not have enough evidence to charge the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) leaders with abuse of power, bribery, or extortion, saying that the police should halted their case, local media reported Monday.

The statement was made a week after the team questioned former KPK chairman Antasari Azhar for the second time Sunday after investigate the way of police handling the case for a week.

The team, which is comprises respected experts, was set up after a public distrust on the police and attorney general office on handling the alleged bribery on the two KPK top officials,

The team said that there were many "missing links" in connecting Chandra Hamzah and Bibit Samad Rianto to abuse of power, bribery and extortion charges announced by the police after Ari Muladi, the key police witness, and former KPK chief Antasari Azhar, changed their testimonies.

"Can a case with missing links still be brought to court? What for? It will only waste time, and energy," head of the team Adnan Buyung Nasution was quoted by the Jakarta Post as saying.

A member for the team, Todung Mulya Lubis said the missing links included an absence of evidence that money was transferred from middleman Ari Muladi to Chandra and Bibit.

During a hearing with the House of Representatives on Thursday, National Police chief Gen. Bambang Hendarso Danuri said the police had enough evidence based on Ari's testimony that he had handed over money to the two KPK deputy chiefs. But Ari dismissed the statement from Bambang just hours later.

As the issue of graft in police and attorney general office has come a head since last week after investigating the two KPK officials, hundreds of protesters come out to street, supporting the officials.

Source: Xinhua