Treasurer testifies against Taufiq Kamil in graft case<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
A government official admitted to having disbursed a big part of
\nhaj trust funds for various irrelevant purposes upon orders from
\nhis superiors at the Ministry of Religious Affairs between 2001
\nand 2004.<\/p>\n
The Directorate General of Haj Management Affairs' treasurer,
\nEnin Yusuf Suparta, testified in court on Thursday that he had
\nnotified former director general Taufiq Kamil about the
\nmisappropriation of the haj funds, but the defendant apparently
\ninsisted that he comply with the orders.<\/p>\n
"As a treasurer, I disbursed the money upon the orders of the
\ndefendant even though I had informed him that the payments were
\nillegal," Enin said when testifying at the trial of Taufiq at the
\nCentral Jakarta District Court.<\/p>\n
Among the misappropriation of the haj funds was reportedly a
\npayment on July 3, 2003 to state auditor Khairiansyah for Rp 15
\nmillion (US$1,500) to influence the audit of the Haj Management
\nAgency, which falls under the Directorate General of Haj Affairs.<\/p>\n
Enin also said he took Rp 160 million from the haj funds to
\npay lawyers for then minister of religious affairs Said Agil
\nHussein Al Munawar in 2004. He said the directorate general also
\nspent a lot to cover the trips of House of Representatives
\nlawmakers for a free haj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
Said Agil is standing trial separately for the misuse of Rp 67
\nbillion and over $848,000 in haj trust funds between 2001 and
\n2004.<\/p>\n
Both Taufiq and Said Agil could be sentenced to life if found
\nguilty of enriching themselves, others and a private company
\ninvolved in the graft case under the 2001 Anticorruption Law.<\/p>\n
According to Presidential Decree No. 22\/2002 on haj
\npilgrimage, the Ministry of Religious Affairs is allowed to
\ncollect haj trust funds that are raised from the government's
\nprofits in arranging the pilgrimage. The funds are to be used for
\nIslamic education, propagation and poverty alleviation programs
\nand development of haj facilities.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors allege that Rp 600 million of the haj trust funds
\nwas remitted to the account of the State Audit Agency (BPK)
\nsecretary-general in 2002. Also in the same year the haj
\nmanagement agency reportedly paid Rp 26.5 million to state
\nauditors who examined its accounts.<\/p>\n
In 2003, the haj management apparently paid Rp 472.6 million
\nto the BPK in connection with an annual audit. In the following
\nyear the payment amounted to Rp 349 million, of which Rp 221
\nmillion went to individual auditors.<\/p>\n
The misuse of haj trust funds is just one corruption case
\nbeing handled by the inter-departmental anticorruption team,
\nwhich focuses on graft in government offices and enterprises.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/treasurer-testifies-against-taufiq-kamil-in-graft-case-1447893297",
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