Fatwa and ICW to end dispute

Fatwa and ICW to end dispute

JAKARTA: People's Consultative Assembly Deputy Speaker A.M.
Fatwa and the Indonesian Corruption Watch (ICW) agreed during a
meeting on Wednesday to resolve a dispute sparked by a report
from the corruption watchdog.

The meeting was attended by Fatwa, Assembly Speaker Hidayat
Nurwahid, senior lawyers M. Assegaf and Bambang Widjoyanto, ICW
coordinator Teten Masduki and ICW member Luki Djani.

The dispute was triggered by an ICW report on allegedly
unscrupulous politicians that was published ahead of the 2004
general election.

The report branded Fatwa a "rotten" politician and accused him
of accepting Rp 20 billion (US$2.1 million) in bribes from PT
Pura Barutama for the printing of Rp 1,000 banknotes.

The information in the report was based on published
statements by legislator and soothsayer Permadi from the
Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Fatwa, of the National Mandate Party (PAN), denied the report,
saying the information the ICW received about him was false.
--Antara