Dadang tells of Sutiyoso's bribery for councillor

Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A bribery scandal casting doubt on the legality of the Jakarta gubernatorial elections intensified on Thursday, with a Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-Perjuangan) councillor claiming Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso paid billions of rupiah to bribe councillors.

Councillor Dadang Hamdani said A. Rahman from the United Development Party (PPP) had confessed to receiving Rp 250 million from one of Sutiyoso's men.

"Rahman was serious about his confession. He was not afraid when I said that I would record his words," Dadang, a failed deputy gubernatorial candidate, told reporters.

Rahman, however, denied the allegation, saying his confession was a joke.

Dadang said Rahman confessed when the pair shared a room at Holiday Inn Bandung on Sept. 16 when the Jakarta City Council traveled to the capital of the West Java province for a comparative study.

He said Rahman told him that Sutiyoso's man had earlier offered him Rp 500 million if he accepted the governor's accountability speech in July this year and elected Sutiyoso for a second term.

"I only received Rp 250 million for accepting Sutiyoso's accountability speech. I did not vote for him in the election. About Rp 25 million of the funds went to my party's faction," Dadang quoted Rahman as saying.

PPP councillors elected Edy Waluyo from the Army faction as its gubernatorial candidate to run with the PPP's deputy chairman Ahmad Suady as deputy gubernatorial candidate. During the election on Sept. 11 Edy and Suady secured 11 votes from councillors while Sutiyoso, the winner, got 47 votes.

Rahman denied on Thursday receiving any money from Sutiyoso related to either the accountability speech or the election.

"I was just joking when I said that to Dadang," Rahman told reporters.

Dadang Hamdani also revealed on Thursday that his faction had likely received "down payments" of Rp 350 million for electing Sutiyoso.

"Our faction had discussed it. But (PDI-Perjuangan) faction chairman Agung Imam Sumanto denied it," Dadang said, adding that he did not believe Agung's explanation.

Dadang's running mate, gubernatorial candidate Endang Darmawan, earlier said he had given 10 checks worth Rp 450 million each to councillors of the National Mandate Party (PAN).

Another gubernatorial candidate, Mahfudz Djaelani, also confessed he had given Rp 200 million to 40 councillors as down payments for a total Rp 2 billion if the councillors elected him.

Police questioned Mahfudz but dropped the investigation after he retracted his statement, saying he spent the money taking the councillors to dinner.

It is difficult to prove money politics but the impact is quite clear. Several councillors currently drive new luxury cars instead of their official Hyundai Accent sedans.

Several non-governmental organizations have demanded the annulment of the results of the elections due to the allegations of money politics and other irregularities.