Businessman claims bribes returned<\/p>\n
Multa Fidrus, The Jakarta Post, Tangerang<\/p>\n
Businessman Fachrul Munir claimed on Tuesday that two of the 20
\nmembers of Tangerang City Council he bribed last March, in an
\nattempt to be elected mayor in the recent elections, had returned
\nthe money.<\/p>\n
Munir, who failed to qualify for the elections, named the two
\nas Tarmizi Arin of the United Development Party (PPP) and Saeful
\nof the coalition faction of the Council.<\/p>\n
\"They came to my house on Monday and returned some of the
\nmoney I gave to each of them. They promised to return the
\nremainder of the sum soon,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
The businessman had reported the councilors to the police on
\nFriday for accepting the bribes. However, many of the councilors
\ndenied taking the money, including 12 councilors of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan).<\/p>\n
But, Munir claimed, the PDI Perjuangan councilors had also
\ncontacted him and promised to return the money.<\/p>\n
Munir said that the total amount he had given to the
\ncouncillors was 2.5 billion (US$294,117). This included
\naccommodation at a hotel near the Soekarno Hatta International
\nAirport on Mar. 15, and related expenses, as well as Rp 100
\nmillion, which had been given to each of the councillors.<\/p>\n
He added that the councilors had told him that they needed
\nfunds to campaign for their parties in the general election and
\nagreed to sign a statement pledging to support his bid for
\nTangerang Mayor for the 2003-2008 term.<\/p>\n
The Council elected incumbent secretary to the municipal
\nadministration Wahidin Halim as mayor and Deddy Sjafei, executive
\nchairman of the Tangerang chapter of the National Mandate Party
\n(PAN), as deputy mayor last Thursday.<\/p>",
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