Former West Java governor accused of bribing councillors
Yuli Tri Suwarni and Luh Putu Trisna Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung, Mataram
Former West Java governor Nuriana has been accused of bribing all 100 members of the previous provincial legislative council to cover up his alleged role in a Rp 224 billion (US$24.8 million) graft case.
Former councillor Endang Rahmat said on Wednesday that Nuriana disbursed Rp 33.4 billion to council members serving the 1999- 2004 term, when prosecutors were looking into a graft case allegedly involving the governor.
"It was hush money to stop the councillors from pushing for a probe into the Rp 224 billion corruption case against Nuriana," Endang said on Wednesday while testifying during the graft trial of Kurdi Moekri, a former deputy speaker of the West Java council.
Kurdi is on trial for a graft case involving Rp 33.4 billion in housing aid for the 100 former councillors. Two other former council deputy speakers, Suparno and Suyaman, are also suspects in the case and the West Java Prosecutor's Office is currently completing their case files.
However, prosecutors are not charging former council speaker Eka Santosa in the case, claiming he had nothing to do with the disbursement of the dirty money. Each of the 100 councillors allegedly received Rp 250 million, with senior officials reportedly pocketing much more.
Endang, who also chairs the non-governmental organization Committee Concerned for Reform, said an investigation by the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) in 1999 found financial irregularities in Nuriana's administration totaling Rp 224 billion.
According to the BPK, the use of this money, some of which was disbursed for a lake development project, donations to the Al- Ikhsan Foundation and a housing project for council members, was against prevailing laws.
Endang said that when chairing a special committee for reform in the council, he recommended the local legislature probe alleged budget irregularities in Nuriana's administration.
The councillors ignored the recommendation because they allegedly already had received Rp 33.4 billion in bribes from Nuriana, Endang testified.
He said prosecutors should also investigate Nuriana in this bribery case.
The West Java Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation into the governor in 2001 over the earlier graft case, but they never filed charges.
Endang said he recently reported the Nuriana case to the Corruption Eradication Commission in Jakarta for investigation.
Meanwhile, hundreds of people in West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) rallied on Wednesday to demand that former NTB governor Harun al- Rasyid be tried for graft.
Prosecutors have said they are investigating Harun over alleged corruption in the 2001 and 2002 provincial budgets amounting to Rp 30 billion. At least 12 former members of the NTB council have been named as suspects in the case.
Protesters entered the compound of the West Nusa Tenggara Prosecutor's Office after blocking off the road outside the complex in Mataram, causing a major traffic jam.
Separately, the Mataram District Court in West Nusa Tenggara began hearing on Wednesday a graft case against West Lombok Health Office head Lalu Sekarningrat, which allegedly cost the state Rp 210 million in losses.
Lalu is charged with taking money from a businessman in exchange for awarding him a Rp 7.5 billion health project in 2003.