Awarded whistle-blower faces graft probe<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Prosecutors will summon state auditor Khairiansyah Salman, who
\nwon the Integrity Award for 2005 recently, for questioning about
\nhis alleged role in a haj fund scam at the Ministry of Religious
\nAffairs, the Attorney General's Office said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Khairiansyah, a Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) auditor, is accused
\nof receiving part of the embezzled funds collected from pilgrims.<\/p>\n
"He will be questioned along with all others who received the
\nmoney," Deputy Attorney General for Special Crimes Hendarman
\nSupandji was quoted as saying by Antara in Anyer, Banten.<\/p>\n
He was asked if Khairiansyah, Minister of Religious Affairs M.
\nMaftuh Basyuni and a number of former lawmakers who all allegedly
\nreceived the money would be summoned.<\/p>\n
Hendarman, who also chairs the interdepartmental team to fight
\ncorruption, did not say that Maftuh was among those who would
\nface questioning over the haj fund scam.<\/p>\n
The questioning of Khairiansyah will be carried out by the
\nCentral Jakarta Prosecutor's Office, Hendarman said without
\nspecifying a date.<\/p>\n
The haj fund corruption case is worth some Rp 700 billion
\n(US$70 million) and is being tried by the Anticorruption Court,
\nwith former religious affairs minister Said Agil Hussein Al-
\nMunawwar and his former subordinate Taufiq Kamis as defendants.<\/p>\n
As cited in the indictment against Said Agil, Khairiansyah
\nreceived Rp 10 million as a so-called transport allowance from
\nthe Ministry of Religious Affairs when he was a BPK official
\nauditing the controversial haj funds.<\/p>\n
The payment was aimed at ensuring he would cover up the extent
\nof corruption in the ministry.<\/p>\n
Khairiansyah was the winner of an Integrity Award in 2005 from
\nthe Berlin-based Transparency International for his part in
\nexposing corruption in the General Elections Commission (KPU).<\/p>\n
He was the first Indonesian to win the prestigious award.
\nOther winners were Senegalese journalist Abdou Latif Coulibaly
\nand Israel's Movement for Quality Government.<\/p>\n
Transparency International said that Khairiansyah "has shown
\nthat one whistleblower can tackle corruption. He is a role model
\nfor millions of Indonesians".<\/p>\n
Acting on a tipoff from Khairiansyah, the Corruption
\nEradication Commission (KPK) arrested KPU member Mulyana W.
\nKusumah, who was caught red-handed in April attempting to bribe
\nan auditor in the hope of influencing the results of an audit of
\nthe election body. Three KPU members and other officials have
\nbeen prosecuted, some of whom have been jailed.<\/p>\n
Todung Mulya Lubis, the chairman of Transparency International
\nIndonesia, which nominated Khairiansyah for the award, has said
\nthe organization was aware of reports that Khairiansyah received
\nkickbacks from the Ministry of Religious Affairs in connection
\nwith the graft case involving Said Agil.<\/p>\n
However, Todung said, "It is not proven yet".<\/p>\n
Khairiansyah, who is protected under the Corruption
\nEradication Commission's witness protection scheme, is now
\nworking with the Aceh and Nias Reconstruction and Rehabilitation
\nAgency (BRR).<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/awarded-whistle-blower-faces-graft-probe-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}