"The DPR did not intervene in the KPK but only raised questions to it," Chief of the House Commission III Benny Kabur Harman said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The House of Representatives (DPR) denied it had intervened in the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in connection with the summons served on four members of its budget board as witnesses in an alleged bribery case at the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry.

"The DPR did not intervene in the KPK but only raised questions to it," Chief of the House Commission III Benny Kabur Harman said on the sidelines of a House plenary meeting at the parliament building on Tuesday.

To conduct its supervisory function the DPR had the right to raise questions to its working partners including the KPK, he said.

Benny said the DPR had only asked the KPK about the mechanism of serving the summons on four members of the budget board.

He denied an allegation that the House Commission III leadership had showered the KPK leadership with a number of questions.

Earlier, the House Commission III questioned the summons at a consultation meeting with the DPR leadership on Monday (Oct 3).

The House leadership invited the KPK leadership, the national police chief and the attorney general to the consultation meeting to reach common perception of the country`s fight against corruption.

Benny said the House Commission III raised questions to the KPK to clarify whether the four members of the budget board were summoned as experts or witnesses.

"If (they were summoned) as experts to clarify statements from other parties about an alleged flow of funds to members of the budget board (it would be okay). But if they were summoned as witnesses this would give an impression as if the budget board leadership was facing problems that need to be clarified," he said.

Deputy chief of the House Commission III Azis Syamsuddin also questioned the summons.

He said if the budget board leadership was summoned all at once it would mean that the KPK suspended the jobs of the House Budget Board which was currently deliberating on the draft 2012 state budget," he said.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2011