Former Party Leader Named as Suspect in Money Laundering Case

Jakarta (Antara) - Former ruling Democrat Party leader Anas Urbaningrum was named as a suspect in a money laundering case by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), here on Wednesday. The KPK will confiscate Anas' assets if it suspects they were acquired through crimes, KPK's deputy chief, Bambang Widjojanto, said. "If there are indications that the assets were acquired through crimes, they will be confiscated," he stated. Due to the charge, Anas is facing a maximum sentence of 20 years in jail and a maximum fine of Rp10 billion. The KPK's spokesman, Johan Budi, meanwhile, said the confiscation of the assets had not yet been carried out. The KPK has so far named Anas as a suspect for receiving bribes related to the sports education and training center development project in Hambalang, Bogor, in West Java. Anas' total assets were reported to be worth Rp2.237 billion and US$2,300 as of December 28, 2007, after he was no longer a General Elections Commission member. The assets include several plots of land and buildings worth Rp965.5 million in East Jakarta, Depok, Karawang and Bekasi. Other assets include cars, precious metals, art works and giros. The document of charges filed on the former head of the financial and household bureau of the ministry of sports, Deddy Kusdinar, who made the commitment in the Hambalang project, stated that Anas had received Rp2.21 billion from the project. This fund had been provided to help him win the general chairmanship of the Democrat Party in a congress in Banding in 2010, in stages from April 19, 2010 to December 6, 2010. The funds were used to pay hotel bills and buy Blackberry cell phones as well as pay for car rentals, meetings and the entertainment of participants who supported him in the congress (*) Reporting By Desca Lidya Natalia