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