Councillor admits taking money from candidate

Councillor admits taking money from candidate

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A councillor from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle
(PDI Perjuangan) admitted on Wednesday to having received
"transportation expenses" from a failed gubernatorial candidate.

Ahmad Supangat said that he had met the candidate, businessman
Mahfudz Djaelani, twice for dinner in different hotels before the
election and received "transportation expenses" after the
dinners.

"It was just a small amount of money. Not as big as reported
in the media," he said.

He also said that he did not support Mahfudz because he did
not believe in his program.

"I did not trust him as he promised that when we, the
councillors, retired, we would receive a pension equivalent to
our current salaries," said Supangat, a member of the council's
commission E for social welfare.

He admitted that he marked his ballot paper in support of
governor Sutiyoso, who later won the election, but claimed that
this had nothing to do with money politics.

"Whether I marked my ballot paper or stayed in a hotel during
the vote is none of your business," he said.

Travel agent Mahfudz earlier revealed that he had paid Rp 200
million to 40 councillors as a down payment out of a total of Rp
2 billion if the councillors elected him.

But Mahfudz, who only secured three votes, later retracted his
statement and claimed that the money was used to pay for dinners
with the councillors.

The State Officials' Wealth Audit Agency (KPKPN) on Wednesday
questioned Mahfudz, who had earlier been questioned by the
police, over the money politics issue.

Abdullah Hehamahua, deputy chairman of the KPKPN for
legislative affairs, said that the agency would soon summon
councillors over the bribery allegations.

Supangat said he had no objection to the plan.

"Personally, I welcome the plan but I don't know about my
fellow councillors," Supangat said.

National Mandate Party (PAN) faction secretary Syamsidar
Siregar also agreed.

"I hope the assets of all the councillors will be audited to
see whether their wealth increased significantly after the
election," Syamsidar told reporters.

She claimed the plan was in line with the faction's desire to
see the allegations of money politics during the election being
investigated.

The revelations of possible bribery have not only come from
Mahfudz as a senior PAN councillor also revealed on Tuesday that
the faction had received 10 cheques worth Rp 450 million each
from another failed gubernatorial candidate, Endang Darmawan.

The councillors, who refused the cheques drawn on Bank
International Indonesia, handed them over to the party's central
board. The PAN faction urged the police to question Endang over
the attempted bribery.