Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Law and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar said he could assure the public that graft suspect Nazaruddin was not under any kind of pressure because if he was he would no doubt have spoken out about it.

"So it (pressure) is impossible," the minister said replying to a press question before attending a function to commemorate Constitution Day here on Thursday.

He said he did not believe any quarter would try to influence Nazaruddin because the risk of Nazaruddin speaking up about it to the public was too big.

"Who would do it right now. Certainly Nazaruddin would later speak up about it," he said.

Nazaruddin, a former treasurer of the ruling Democrat Party had accused party elite members of being involved in his case while in hiding abroad creating controversies at home.

The graft suspect was caught in Cartagena, Colombia, recently after on the run since May 23 this year and being named suspect in the bribery case linked to the SEA Games athlete village project in Palembang, Sumatra.

Minister Patrialis meanwhile appealed to the people to only listen what Nazaruddin said with regard to rumours that he had made compromises.

"I think we must not listen to such rumours. We had better wait for what Nazaruddin would say directly," he said.

The minister also asked the people not to speculate too far with regard to discourses that did not emerge directly from Nazaruddin.

He said it was useless to comment on something which was not clear yet. "Just wait until Nazaruddin speaks," he said.

Asked on rumours that Nazaruddin`s case would be localized and diverted, Patrialis said they could speak like that while Nazaruddin had not yet been questioned and spoken anything.

Nazaruddin`s lawyer OC Kaligis had said his client was willing to take responsibility himself without involving other people he had once accused of involvement.

Kaligis made the statement after meeting Nazaruddin at the Makro Brimob police detention center on Wednesday.

He said Nazaruddin made the deal upon conditions that his wife and children would be left alone.

He said Nazaruddin had asked him to make his request known to the public.
(Uu.H-YH/HAJM/F001)

Editor: Ruslan Burhani
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