TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) says the meeting between a suspect’s lawyer and witnesses in the driver’s license (SIM) simulator corruption scandal should not have happened. "It is dangerous, because it is geared toward rescuing Djoko Susilo [at all cost]," said member of ICW Board of Executors, Emerson Yuntho, Tuesday, August 14, 2012. Inspector General Djoko Susilo is one of the suspects in the case currently being examined by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). Djoko’s lawyer, Fredrich Yunadi, acknowledged a meeting did take place. One witness was the Chief Brigadier Benita Pratiwi or Tiwi, Djoko’s assistant. "Actually, not only Tiwi, there were 20 other people," Fredrich said Tuesday, August 14, 2012. Fredrich meet Tiwi, currently undergoing education at the School of Police Officer Candidates in Sukabumi, West Java. Tiwi’s name surfaced because she was said to have received cardboard boxes allegedly containing money from Director of PT Inovasi Teknologi Indonesia Sukotjo S. Bambang, vendor for the simulators, to General Djoko, who was then Chief of the Traffic Police Unit Headquarters. Sukotjo has also been named as a suspect by the KPK. Fredrich explained that the purpose of the meeting was to find out everything about the simulator case. He refused, however, to describe the details of the conversation on the grounds of secrecy. Emerson finds it hard to believe that a lawyer of a suspect goes to a witness without any purpose. Such a meeting can be interpreted as directing witnesses prior to being examined, to ensure uniformity in their answers. "Things like this often happen in cases of corruption involving officials and, consequently, the case dies a premature death," he said. Hifdzil Alim, a legal observer from the Center for Anti-Corruption Studies, Gadjah Mada University, says a lawyer can see witnesses. "But in the context of preparing a defense," he said, Tuesday, August 14, 2012. According to Hifdzil, if a meeting is designed to influence the testimony of a witness, a lawyer can be charged with obstruction of an investigation. Therefore, it must be ascertained first that the meeting is not to pressureize or threaten a witness. "Especially tampering with a witness’ testimony to save the defendant." Fredrich denied that the meeting was a scenario to save his client or to direct the witness when she was examined by KPK or the Criminal Investigation Division, Police Headquarters. "The meeting was purely to ask for clarification about the simulator case. No more," he said. GUSTIDHA BUDIARTIE | SUNDARI | ISMA SAVITRI | SUKMA