Rivalry divulges bribery scandals<\/p>\n
Asip A. Hasani, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Herman Abdurrahman, chairman of the United Development Party
\n(PPP) faction in the Yogyakarta provincial legislative council,
\nis probably the most unlucky local legislator implicated in a
\ncorruption scandal.<\/p>\n
He was the only legislator named a suspect in an alleged
\nbribery scandal surrounding the Rp 42.5 billion development
\nproject of the Jogja Expo Center (JEC), though the case has
\nimplicated many of his colleagues.<\/p>\n
\"Why do you all keep pursuing this issue, which only involves
\nRp 150 million, while ignoring another that involves Rp 1
\nbillion?\" Herman argued.<\/p>\n
Herman, who has served as a PPP legislator since 1992, was
\nreferring to alleged bribery payments of Rp 1 billion during the
\ncouncil's election of Paku Alam as Yogyakarta's deputy governor.<\/p>\n
The media have reported both cases repeatedly since late last
\nyear when Golkar Party faction chairman Khaeruddin publicly
\nadmitted he was given an envelope containing Rp 5 million by a
\nfellow legislator.<\/p>\n
He said other legislators also received a similar amount of
\nmoney in return for their approval of the last disbursement of Rp
\n9.5 billion in state funds to state-owned construction company PT
\nAdhi Karya to finance the JEC development project.<\/p>\n
A legislator of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
\n(PDI Perjuangan) also made a similar confession. However, he
\ndeclined to mention the amount of money inside the envelope he
\nreceived.<\/p>\n
\"This revelation is actually a counterattack from the Golkar
\nand PDI Perjuangan factions against Herman and his PPP faction
\nfor his attempt to leak the money politics scandal behind the
\ndeputy gubernatorial election. You know that the PDI Perjuangan
\nand Golkar factions were staunch supporters of Paku Alam's
\nvictory in the election,\" a legislator, who asked for anonymity,
\ntold The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Herman's rivalry with several other top figures within PPP may
\nmean more bad luck for him.<\/p>\n
The PPP has not made any moves to protect him, and the deputy
\nchairman of the party's provincial branch, Syukri Fadholi, is
\nplaying an active role in gathering evidence in the scandal.<\/p>\n
The party's investigation team, led by Syukri, discovered a
\nbank transfer slip that disclosed a transfer of Rp 150 million
\nfrom PT Adhi Karya's bank account at Bank Mandiri to Herman's
\nprivate account at Bank Bali.<\/p>\n
Herman said he had received a total of Rp 150 million in his
\nbank account from an unknown sender, but claimed he returned the
\nfunds.<\/p>\n
The investigation into the Jogja Expo Center scandal by the
\nYogyakarta Provincial Prosecutor's Office is in progress. It
\ndeclared Herman and Duljiman, the director of the local office of
\nPT Adhi Karya, suspects in the case last month. It has pledged to
\nsummon all 33 members of the council for questioning in the two
\ncases.<\/p>\n
\"The investigation's progress at the Yogyakarta Provincial
\nProsecutor's Office is amazing. This kind of corruption case is
\nusually difficult to track with our legal system,\" Teguh Purnomo,
\nthe coordinator of an independent investigation team on the two
\nscandals, told the Post.<\/p>\n
A source at the legislative council said Herman had
\ndistributed money to some 20 legislators.<\/p>\n
Whether the two scandals will be brought to trial remains
\nopen. If it is, the court will have to think hard about indicting
\nthe two suspects due to the many binding political interests.<\/p>\n
\"What they are all afraid of is Herman's tendency for revenge
\nif he is found guilty. He can name other legislators involved in
\nboth scandals,\" the provincial administration secretary, Bambang
\nS. Priyohadi, said.<\/p>\n
\"It's true that legislators have frequently disgruntled us
\nwith their arrogance,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Yogyakarta Governor Hamengku Buwono X spoke in defense of
\nDuljiman and PT Adhi Karya. \"We are deeply indebted by what Adhi
\nKarya has done for the people of Yogyakarta and its help in
\nupgrading the JEC building,\" he said previously.<\/p>\n
Another top official at the provincial administration said
\nAdhi Karya should not be charged with participation in the case
\nbecause the company had been under pressure from legislators to
\nallegedly pay bribes to win the project.<\/p>\n
Bambang further said the alleged involvement of Adhi Karya in
\nthe scandal had put it at risk of losing Rp 1.6 trillion worth of
\ncontracts in Palembang, Medan, and Padang in Sumatra from the
\nJapan Banking for International Cooperation (JBIC).<\/p>\n
The scandals have hurt the provincial legislature's legitimacy
\nand brought it to its lowest level. \"We are suspicious of each
\nother. Communication among the legislators has been disrupted as
\nsome chairpeople from the legislative commissions have refused to
\npreside over their meetings,\" council deputy speaker Nur Achmad
\nAffandi said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/rivalry-divulges-bribery-scandals-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}