President to Sign Ratu Atut's Temporary Termination Letter

Jakarta (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will soon sign the temporary termination letter of the Banten provincial governor, Ratu Atut Chosiyah, as she had been named as a defendant, the presidential spokesman said. "The suspension letter for Ratu Atut was handed. State Secretary Minister received the letter from the Home Affairs Ministry and it was submitted to the President," the presidential spokesman, Julian Aldrin Pasha, told the press at the Presidential Palace complex here on Thursday. "Hopefully, the president will sign the letter today," Julian said. Meanwhile, Ratu Atut was charged with paying Rp1 billion to former constitutional court chief justice Akil Mochtar to win an election dispute. "The defendant along with Tubagus Chaeri Wardana Chasan alias Wawan had paid or pledged money worth Rp1 billion to Akil Mochtar as a constitutional court judge to influence a court ruling," public prosecutor of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Edy Hartoyo said at a court hearing here on May 6. Atut, since March 2013, had been known to support Amir Hamzah and Kasmin for the post of Lebak district's chief and deputy chief. Hamzah and Kasmin were later defeated by Iti Oktavia Jayabaya and Ade Sumardi, respectively, based on vote count by the General Election Commission (KPU) on September 8, 2013. Atut then gathered Amir Hamzah, Kasmin and Rudy Alfonso on September 9 at the Hotel Sultan to ask them to file a lawsuit in the constitutional court citing fraud. At the time, Amir Hamzah asked Susi Tur to be one of his lawyers. Akil later chaired the court session on the case along with Maria Farida Indrati and Anwar Usman as members. On September 22, 2013, in the lobby of the JW Marriott Hotel in Singapore, Atut, Wawan and Akil met. On the occasion, Atut asked Akil to help the Amir Hamzah-Kasmin duo win in the dispute, so that there is re-voting in Lebak. (*) Reporting by Panca Hari Prabowo