MNC Group Denies Hary Tanoe`s Involvement in Antasari`s Case
15 February 2017 07:10 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Media company MNC Group corporate secretary Syafril Nasution said that the statements issued by former Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chief Antasari Azhar about the company’s owner Hary Tanoesoedibjo was false. Antasari earlier said that Hary was sent by Indonesia’s sixth president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) to meet him. “It’s all not true,” Syafril told Tempo on Tuesday, February 14, 2017.
Antasari said that he was met by Hary at night. Serving as the KPK chief, Antasari was investigating into the money trail of a foundation called Yayasan Pengembangan Perbankan Indonesia involving the father-in-law of SBY's son, Aulia Pohan. Aulia Pohan was Bank Indonesia’s deputy governor. According to Antasari, Hary was a messenger of Cikeas [SBY’s domicile] tasked with dissuading Antasari from arresting Aulia Pohan.
Also read: SBY's Lawyers Report Antasari to Police over Alleged Defamation
Syafril said that the former president could not possibly send any third party to convey a message to his own subordinate. “More so because the third party worked in the private sector,” he said. According to him, it would be more sensible for the former president to ask for help from one of his ministers.
Syfril said that Hary would not take legal action against Antasari. “We will not take any action whatsoever because all [allegations] were not true,” he said.
Meanwhile, SBY had responded to Antasari’s statements that he would take legal action for defamation. “Antasari’s accusation sounds as if I was the initiator of his case, it’s definitely not true. I will take a legal action against Antasari” he tweeted on his Twitter account @SBYudhoyono on yesterday.
SBY had also accused Antasari of hurting his son’s Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono’s electability rating ahead of Jakarta election. “Have you not done enough to defame & destroy my name since November 2016 [the accusations of being behind anti-Ahok rallies], to hurt Agus’ electability & [make him] lose [the election],” SBY said.
VINDRY FLORENTIN