Detention of KPU chief 'welcome move'<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post
\nJakarta<\/p>\n
Top politicians welcomed the move to detain General Elections
\nCommission (KPU) chief Nazaruddin Syamsuddin, saying it signaled
\nreal progress in the ongoing investigation of the high-profile
\ncorruption case.<\/p>\n
Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Hidayat
\nNur Wahid said on Saturday that he fully supported the graft
\ninvestigation, and expected the Corruption Eradication Commission
\n(KPK) to continue to expand the investigation to include other
\ninfluential names, even lawmakers who may have been involved in
\nthe case.<\/p>\n
He said that progress in the investigation would be a boost to
\nthe current campaign against graft in the country.<\/p>\n
\"The KPK must press ahead in carrying out its job to curb
\ncorruption,\" he was quoted by Antara as saying while in Batam.<\/p>\n
KPK named Nazaruddin as suspect in the graft case late on
\nFriday for his alleged role in the corruption case and put him in
\ndetention for a 20-day period at the Jakarta Police detention
\nfacility.<\/p>\n
According to the head of KPK's investigation unit, Tumpak
\nHatorangan Panggabean, during the interrogation on Friday,
\nNazaruddin only admitted that he had received US$45,000 -- in
\nwhat is believed to be money from kickbacks from private firms
\nthat won bids to supply election materials during last year's
\nelection.<\/p>\n
Tumpak also said that the funds had been seized as evidence by
\nthe KPK.<\/p>\n
Nazaruddin is the fourth KPU official named a suspect in the
\ncorruption case, which started with the arrest of KPU member
\nMulyana W. Kusumah in April after he was discovered in the act of
\nallegedly bribing a state auditor in a bid to influence audit
\nresult on KPU funds.<\/p>\n
The KPK had previously detained the election commission's
\ninterim secretary-general Sussongko Suhardjo and treasurer
\nHamdani Amin. The two have acknowledged that the KPU collected
\nsome Rp 20 billion ($2.15 million) in kickbacks from a handful of
\ndomestic private firms. The two said that Nazaruddin was the one
\nwho made the order to collect the money and distribute it to all
\nthe KPU officials, some House of Representatives members and
\nauditors at the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).<\/p>\n
There have been calls recently for the KPK to also investigate
\nother high-profile KPU officials, including current Minister of
\nJustice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin, who was a key KPU
\nmember last year when the kickback money was supposedly paid.<\/p>\n
Lawmaker Andi Muawiyah, head of the National Awakening Party
\nfaction at the House, also welcomed the progress made by KPK in
\nthe investigation of the KPU graft case, saying that the case was
\na test for the Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono administration's
\ncommitment in curbing corruption.<\/p>\n
\"We fully support the KPK's investigation. This must be
\ncontinued, not only at the KPU, but also in (corruption-ravaged)
\nstate-owned enterprises,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/detention-of-kpu-chief-welcome-move-1447893297",
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