Ex-KPU official named graft suspect

Ex-KPU official named graft suspect

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Former secretary-general of the General Elections Commission
(KPU) Safder Yusacc was named a suspect on Wednesday in relation
to the alleged markup of the cost of election guideline books
during last year's polls.

Safder was picked up from his house in Cempaka Putih, Central
Jakarta, by investigators of the Corruption Eradication
Commission (KPK) for questioning before the latter declared him a
suspect, his lawyer Soedjono was quoted as saying by Antara.

He said that Safder, who arrived at the KPK office at around 4
p.m., was accused of involvement in marking up the cost of
publishing election guideline books worth Rp 30 billion (US$3.16
million), which caused the state some Rp 17 billion in financial
losses.

He declined to provide details.

KPK officials could not be reached for comment.

During earlier questioning, Safder admitted that he personally
knew Cecep Harefa, who acted as middleman in the book publishing
project, but said he did not hire the broker.

The KPK has already declared Bambang Budiarto, head of the
book project, the prime suspect in the case.

The antigraft commission has been working hard to resolve the
high-profile graft case at the KPU, which organized the 2004
general election and the country's first direct presidential
election, which Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono won.

The KPU graft case centers around alleged kickbacks paid to
KPU officials by private companies that won KPU contracts, the
marking up of expenses in the purchase of election materials and
services, and the bribery of auditors at the Supreme Audit Agency
(BPK), officials of the Ministry of Finance and lawmakers.

Safder has also been accused of accepting kickbacks from
private companies, although reports earlier said he had returned
part of the US$30 billion he received.

Earlier on Tuesday, the KPK declared Ministry of Finance
official Ishaq Harahap a suspect, the second suspect from the
ministry. He is accused of accepting bribes from KPU officials in
order that the ministry approve a revised budget for the KPU,
whose top officials had been implicated in the ongoing graft
case.