Jakarta. The South Sulawesi Police on Tuesday has named Abraham Samad, chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, a suspect for allegedly forging state documents.

“After conducting several case investigations by the crime unit of the South Sulawesi Police, Abraham Samad has been named a suspect in a document falsification case,” Sr. Comr. Endi Sutendi, spokesman of the South Sulawesi Police, told the Jakarta Globe in a phone call from Makassar on Tuesday.

The South Sulawesi Police has also issued Abraham with a travel ban.

Chairil Chaidar Said, chairman of the KPK and National Police Care Institution, reported Abraham on Jan. 29 to the National Police for being involved in helping Feriyani Lim, who has already been named a suspect in the same case, obtain a passport at the immigration office in Makassar, South Sulawesi in 2007.

The National Police on the same day that Chairil filed the report handed over the investigation process to South Sulawesi Police. KPK and National Police Care Institution is an organization that monitors both KPK and National Police activities.

In a case that is now with the South Sulawesi Police, Feriyani allegedly attached Abraham’s family certificate and identification card which stated that both Abraham and Feriyani are citizens of the Panakkukang subdistrict in Makassar. Feriyani has no family relation with the KPK chief.

However, after several investigations, the police discovered that Abraham and Feriyani were never listed as local citizens of the Panakkukan subdistrict. Feriyani is listed as a citizen of Pontianak, West Kalimantan.

Abraham was born and raised in South Sulawesi but is not from the Panakkukan subdistrict.

“Abraham Samad is stated as the family leader, while Feriyani Lim was a relative,” said Endi.

Endi added that the decision to name the KPK chief a suspect was made on Feb. 9 after the police had confiscated enough evidence such as the family certificate, Feriyani’s ID card and the passport that was processed with the allegedly forged state documents.

“So far, the investigators have questioned 23 witnesses, including people from the immigration office, the subdistrict leaders and other related people,” the South Sulawesi Police spokesman said.

Abraham was the second KPK leader to be named a suspect after KPK deputy chief Budi Widjajanto was named on Jan. 23 a suspect in a election-dispute case.

Endi says that the police on Tuesday have also sent Abraham a summons letter for questioning to be held on Feb. 20 at the South Sulawesi Police headquarters.

Endi rejected speculation that the police purposely made the announcement a day after the South Jakarta District Court handed down its verdict to reject KPK’s decision to name National Police chief candidate Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan a suspect in a graft case.

“This is not related with Budi Gunawan. We were late to announce the decision to name Abraham Samad a suspect purely because of technical issues in the investigation process,” Endi said.

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Source: The Jakarta Globe