Another poll commission member admits to accepting kickbacks
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Like several other members of the General Elections Commission (KPU), Daan Dimara admitted on Wednesday to receiving US$30,000 from companies that supplied poll materials to the national poll body.
However, KPU treasurer Hamdani Amin earlier insisted that all KPU members, including Daan, received $110,000 each, with the funds being disbursed in April, June and December 2004
Testifying at the graft trial of Hamdani, who has been charged with embezzling KPU's insurance and tactical funds, Daan denied receiving $110,000 through the defendant.
"I received a total of only $30,000 that was paid in three phases. I kept the money because the defendant (Hamdani) told me that the money was from KPU chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin. But I returned it to the Anticorruption Commission (KPK) on June 7, 2004 after learning about the case through the media," Daan said.
He said he never asked Nazaruddin about the money after receiving it from Hamdani.
Daan also said he knew nothing about the tactical funds reportedly collected as kickbacks by the defendant from private firms that won procurement projects from the KPU.
"I did not know whether the funds were taken from the state budget or not," he argued.
Hearing the witness' complicated testimony and inconsistent statements, the panel of judges, presided over by Kresna Menon, rebuked Daan and reminded him he was under oath.
A judge asked Daan, a former assistant to the rector of the University of Cenderawasih in Jayapura, Papua, as to why he accepted the money but did not ask the KPU chairman about it.
The witness did not answer the judge's question.
Nazaruddin, who is also standing trial in the same case, has admitted to accepting $44,900, while deputy KPU chairman Ramlan Surbakti told the court last week that he got only $35,000.
Another KPU member, Rusadi Kantaprawira, said he received only $7,800.
However, other KPU members, including current Minister of Justice and Human Rights Hamid Awaluddin, have denied benefiting from the tactical funds and said they had learned through media reports that several KPU members had returned the money to KPK investigators.
Part of the tactical funds was also reportedly given to other KPU officials, including deputy secretary-general Sussongko Suhardjo, who was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in jail for his involvement in the graft case.
The judges adjourned the trial until Oct. 12 to hear from witnesses testifying on behalf of Hamdani.