Bandarlampung
News of the arrest of businesswoman Artalita Suryani for allegedly bribing a senior prosecutor from the Attorney General's Office has seen her name splashed across headlines.
Although she barely appears in the public spotlight, Artalita has been the talk of Bandarlampung, Lampung for more than 10 years -- not only because of her business activities there, but also due to her connections with a number of politicians.
Chairman of the Lampung chapter of the Golkar Party, Alzier Dianis Thabranie, said the businesswoman, who is popularly known as Ayin, was a nice woman who mingled with people from all walks of life, from common people to high-ranking officials.
He said Ayin and her family had contributed significantly to Lampung's development.
Her husband, Suryadarma, alias Akiong, had been close to officials in Lampung since the term of former governor Poedjono Pranyoto (1992-1997).
"After he died, Ayin carried on the family business. She tried to develop Lampung with her companies," said Alzier, who is one of the province's governor candidates.
Mohammad Mukri, former chairman of Lampung's Ansor Youth Movement and now the assistant rector of Radin Intan Institute of Islamic Studies in Bandarlampung, said Ayin had a warm personality and was smart and very confident.
He said she had close connections with many senior journalists, heads of administrations, politicians and regional police chiefs in Lampung.
"She has a bank, so it's no wonder that many (regent, mayor and governor) candidates running for elections borrow money from her bank, Bank Tripanca," he claimed.
Mohammad said Ayin's connections with some of the country's big names was evident from the guests that attended the wedding reception of her eldest son Romy Dharma Satiyawan in April 2007, in Jakarta.
Mukri said the wedding guest list included many high-ranking state officials and big businessmen, including President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, House of Representative Speaker Agung Laksono, former president Abdurrahman Wahid and businessman Tommy Winata.
"Pak Agung Laksono even gave a speech (at the wedding)," said Mukri, who also attended the party.
The wedding reception of Ayin's daughter Imelda with Eiffel Tedja, who is the son of property "king" Pakuwon Grup, in Surabaya in June 2007, was attended by National Police Chief Gen. Sutanto and Abdurrahman Wahid, Mukri said.
Born in Telukbetung in Lampung's capital city Bandarlampung, Ayin, the fifth of eight children, grew up in a Chinese community on Jl. Slamet Riyadi, an area known as Gudang Kaleng.
When her husband was still alive, Ayin, who was dubbed the "First Lady" or "Bunda (Mother) Ayin" by people close to her and by journalists, was only known as a housewife.
After her husband passed away, Ayin continued his property and trade businesses, including assisting her businessman uncle Sjamsul Nursalim, owner of PT Gadjah Tunggal, and handling Southeast Asia's biggest pond business under PT Dipasena Citra Darmaja in Tulangbawang regency in Lampung.
PT Dipasena Citra Darmaja was one of Sjamsul's assets handed over to the Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency to cover the Rp 49 trillion Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support Fund (BLBI), which he allegedly misappropriated.
Aside from owning the biggest share in Bank Tripanca, Artalita also owns Hotel Pacific in Bandarlampung, Millennium karaoke lounge and Tripanca bottled water company. She is also the biggest coffee exporter in Lampung and is building a tourism resort in Lelangga Island, Pesawaran regency, in Lampung.
Her arrest by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) earlier this month for allegedly bribing prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan shocked not only her family and friends but also environmental activists.
"Only after she was arrested did I find out she was the owner of PT Bukit Alam Surya BAS, which has been mining Camang Hill and reclaiming Lampung Bay beach," said executive director of the Lampung chapter of the Indonesia Environmental Forum (Walhi), Mukri Friatna.
"It turns out she is the woman who controls the company ... even Bandarlampung Mayor Eddy Sutrisno could not stop the hill mining ... he even insisted the Water Front City project's reclamation of the Lampung Bay should continue, despite protests by fishermen and environmental activists."
Since 2003, 46-year-old Ayin has carried out the Water Front City project in Lampung Bay, which comprises an integrated business and tourism center on 150 hectares of reclaimed land.
Following Ayin's arrest, the company halted the project in Lampung Bay. Dozens of security officers now stand guard on Camang Hill at the 100-hectare Bukit Alam Surya real estate project -- an elite housing complex developed by the company.
Ayin's lawyer, O.C. Kaligis, said she could face gratification charges under the 2001 Corruption Law, not bribery. The KPK, however, rejected the gratification charge and continued to raise the bribery and corruption charges, he said.
When taken in for questioning Monday, Ayin said she did not want to be linked to any party who had no relevance to her, referring to her alleged connections with Sjamsul Nursalim.
The Attorney General's Office dropped the investigation into Sjamsul and another tycoon, Anthony Salim, over the embezzlement of BLBI funds late last month.
"I hope everyone will uphold the presumption of innocence principle," Ayin said.
The Jakarta Post, Friday, Marc 14, 2008
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