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.