Former KPU Official's Death Must be Scrutinized
Thursday, 14 December, 2006 | 18:04 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Former member of General Elections Commission (KPU), Daan Dimara, has asked the police to investigate the death of his colleague Hamdani Amin, former Head of the KPU Finance Bureau.

"Everything must be made clear. How could a person who was healthy die suddenly,"� said Daan yesterday (13/12).

Hamdani, 62, died yesterday at Cipinang Penitentiary, Jakarta at around 10.15am.

Convicted of corruption in the KPU case, Hamdani was suspected to have died because of hypertension.

"That is according to the test results of the KPU medical team,"� said Gunadi, Head of Cipinang Penitentiary yesterday.

However, Gunadi went on to say that Hamdani had never complained of being ill since he was in Cipinang.

According to Hamid Awaludin, Justice and Human Rights Minister, around 6.45am, Hamdani played two sets of badminton.

Nonetheless, seeing Hamdani becoming weaker, the umpire and his Hamdani's opponent asked if he was feeling alright.

Hamdani said that he was fine and forced himself to continue playing.

After the game, he took a shower.

"While waving to his friends, he said he was going to a meeting. Then, near a mosque, he fell,"� said Hamid, who was also Hamdani's partner at KPU.

Due to the fall, the left side of his head was bleeding.

"There was a wound five centimeters long,"� said Hamdani's attorney, Djonggi Simorangkir.

"However, it is said that he died after having had one stitch," he said.

According to Djonggi, actually Hamdani had an appointment with Hamid yesterday.

At first they already wanted to meet two days ago, but the meeting was cancelled due to rain.

On Monday, Hamid met Hamdani's son who asked that his father be transferred to Cianjur Penitentiary.

Hamdani had been in Cipinang since October 6, after the Supreme Court sentenced him to six years imprisonment as he was found guilty in the case of the KPU members' insurance premium corruption which caused the state to suffer losses of Rp5 billion.

In the trial, Hamdani had accused Hamid Awaludin of accepting US$110,000 funds that were not from his salary as a KPU member.

However, this was disputed by Hamid.

The KPU has not yet processed the accusation.

Sofian, Sukma Loppies, Sandy Indra Pratama, Deffan Purnama and Reh Atemalem