Antasari Azhar (born March 18, 1953, Pangkal Pinang, Bangka Belitung Province) is former Head of the Corruption Eradication Commission of Indonesia. He was dismissed permanently from his job on 11 October 2009 by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono[1] because Azhar was convicted of murder for his involvement in an assassination.
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Antasari Azhar was the 4th child from 15 siblings, son of H. Azhar Hamid, S.H. and Hj. Asnani (RIP). His father was the former head of a tax office at Bangka Belitung.
Antasari spent his early childhood at Belitung Island. Then after finishing his primary education in 1965, he continued his elementary and high school at Jakarta City until graduating in 1971. He joined the law school at Sriwijaya University, majoring in state management and graduated at 1981. At college Antasari actively joined in several organizations. He was the Senate Chairman and Head of Student Community. Even he was proud that he was a former active demonstrator in 1978. Besides formal education, in his public prosecutor career, Antasari was taking several courses: Commercial Law at New South Wales University Sydney and Investigation for environmental law, EPA, Melbourne.
Antasari started his career at Judgement Department (1981–1985). His willingness to be a diplomat soon changed after he was accepted to be functional prosecutor at Center Jakarta State Prosecutor Office [(Kejaksaan Negeri Jakarta Pusat)] from 1985 until 1989. His will to keep studying without any desire to stop has brought fast career development. He also was appointed to be the Functional Prosecutor at Tanjung Pinang State Prosecutor (1989–1992), Head of Lampung Corruption Investigation Section [(Penyidikan Korupsi Kejaksaan Tinggi Lampung)] (1992–1994) and then head of West Jakarta State Prosecutor for Special Violation (1994–1996). Antasari started to feel at the top as he headed the Baturaja State Prosecutor (1997–1999).
After that he joined the High State Prosecutor. In 1999, he was Head of High State Prosecutor for Special Violation Sub Directorate, also Head of High State Prosecutor Investigator for Special Violation (1999–2000) and also was Head of High State Prosecutor for Mass Media Communication (2000).
But it is the title of head of South Jakarta State Prosecutor (2000–2007) that makes him widely known as a public figure. At that time, he failed to execute Tommy Soeharto when the High Court convicted Tommy. When execution was about to be done, Tommy fled from Cendana (Tommy and Families Residential). The execution started a rumour that Antasari intended to prolong the execution time so Tommy had enough time to flee.
The controversy has not interfered with the employment of Antasari to be the Head of Indonesian Corruption Enforcement Commission [(KPK)] outvoting Chandra M. Hamzah by 41 counts on election held by the Indonesian legistilative assembly or [(DPR)] Third Commission. His movement to Head of Indonesian Corruption Enforcement Commission has stolen the public attention after KPK detained State Prosecutor Urip Tri Gunawan and Artalyta Suryani at Syamsul Nursalim [(BLBI / Indonesian Central Bank Direct Aid )] in a bribery case, and also for Al Amin Nur Nasution detention for the special protected Tanjung Pantai Air Telang, West Sumatera Forestry Area Exploration.
Antasari has been accused of cooperating with businessman Sigid Haryo Wibisono to murder Nasrudin Zulkarnaen, PT Rajawali Putra Banjaran Director with unclear motives applied. Antasari refused all of the conviction including the affair that seems to be the main motive of the assassination and pledged to be still loyal to Ida Laksmiwati, his wife that he married 26 years ago. His status as murder suspect made President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono momentarily dismissed him at May 4th 2009 as the Head of Indonesian Corruption Enforcement Commission [(KPK)].
Later Antasari was sentenced to death and 18 years imprisonment on 11 February 2010. He has submitted an appeal.