PPP TO DEFEND BACHTIAR CHAMSYAH

Jakarta, Feb 1 (ANTARA) - The United Development Party (PPP) central executive board will defend former Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah who had been named a suspect in a corruption case.

"We are surprised, sad, and have a great concern that the Corruption Eradication Commission has named Bachtiar a suspect," PPP central executive board chairman Emron Pangkapi said here on Monday.

He asked all parties to respect the presumption of innocence principle and not to hastily claim that the former social affairs minister was guilty.

"So long as my association with Pak Bachtiar, I find out that he is honest and trustworthy. But his only weakness is that he trust too much on his staffers or subordinates," Emron said, adding that Bachtiar deserved defense from PPP.

He said the party was considering forming a team of lawyers to defend the former social affairs minister.

The KPK has named Bachtiar Chamsyah a suspect in corruption in procurement of sewing machines and imported cows for his department in 2004 and 2006, a spokesman said.

"We have named BC, a former social affairs minister, a suspect," KPK spokesman Johan Budi said here on Monday.

Chamsyah became a suspect after the KPK had collected enough evidence to build up a case.

Bachtiar was suspected to have had detailed knowledge of the processes to procure the sewing machines and imported cows intended for distribution among poor people.

The KPK had found out the social affairs ministry had directly appointed suppliers (without putting out tenders) and the prices of the goods had been marked up, causing losses to the state.

According to the KPK's preliminary estimates, the sewing machine case had caused the state to suffer a loss of Rp24 billion and the imported cow case Rp3.6 billion.

The KPK began to investigate the suspected imported cow corruption case in 2007 and found positive proof in early 2009 but did not announce the suspects immediately.

The case happened in 2004 when the social affairs deparment was led by Bachtiar Chamsyah.