I don`t know her. Please ask about her to the President
Bengkulu (ANTARA News) - Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) President Anis Matta said he did not know Bunda Putri who was mentioned in a court trial over a beef import corruption scandal.

"I don`t know her. Please ask about her to the President," he told reporters here on Sunday. He was here to hold a consolidation meeting with PKS cadres and legislative candidates for next year`s legislative elections.

Bunda Putri was mentioned for the first time during the trial in the corruption criminal court by former PKS president Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq (LHI) who was a suspect in the beef import scandal.

LHI during the court session mentioned the name of Bunda Putri as a women who was close to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

With regard to a statement in the court of Yudi Setiawan, through his lawyer Fidel Angwarmasse, on an alleged transaction worth over Rp20 billion, Matta was not yet available to comment.

"I am not yet asked about the matter in the court," he briefly said.

Earlier, businessman Yudi Setiawan during a trial in the corruption crime court on Thursday disclosed pieces of evidence of transactions among himself and PKS leaders, namely Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, Anis Matta and Ishaaq`s close associate Ahmad Fathanah.

Yudi claimed the transactions were worth Rp20 billion.

The evidence was in the form receipts on account transfers, checks, a car purchase order and a hand written document singed by Ahmad Fathanah.

Besides that there was also evidence in the form of pictures and voice recordings.

Early this year, then PKS President Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on an alleged bribe in a beef import scandal.

The KPK also arrested Juard Effendi, Arya Abdi Effendi (both are directors of beef importer PT Indoguna Utama) and Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq`s close friend Ahmad Fathanah.

The anti-graft body also confiscated as evidence a cash of Rp1 billion, put in black crinkle paper bag. The money was a down payment of a commitment fee worth Rp40 billion pledged for the issuance of a permit to import 8,000 tons of beef by PT Indoguna Utama.

Juard dan Arya were arrested by the KPK (Jan 29) at Arya`s house in Cakung, East Jakarta after handing over Rp1 billion to Ahmad Fathanah at the PT Indoguna Utama building. Ahmad Fathanah himself was arrested at Le Meredien Hotel in Jakarta.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi said KPK had evidence the money was to be given to Luthfi, who denied the allegation. Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq officially announced his resignation two days after his arrest on the graft charges.

In a press conference Luthfi said," it is part of political struggle. PKS must continue to grow with or without me." "I am just facing a legal case and I would certainly need time to follow the process to prove whether or not I am guilty and this problem will be part of PKS` struggle," he said.

(A014)

Editor: Ella Syafputri
Copyright © ANTARA 2013