KPK detains KPU member Rusadi
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) detained on Monday General Elections Commission (KPU) member Rusadi Kantaprawira after naming him a suspect in a graft case at the election body.
KPK deputy chairman Tumpak Hatorangan Panggabean said Rusadi, a professor of constitutional law at Padjadjaran University, was accused of causing up to Rp 36 billion (US$3.7 million) in state losses in the procurement of ink for last year's legislative elections.
"The KPU procured the ink through a tender that violated Presidential Decree No. 80/2003," Tumpak said.
The decree on the provision of goods for state institutions requires transparent tenders that are free from collusion and nepotism.
Rusadi now joins in detention four other KPU officials and members who have also been named graft suspects -- chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin, member Mulyana W. Kusumah, secretary- general Sussongko Suhardjo and treasurer Hamdani Amin.
The change in Rusadi's status was announced by his lawyer M. Utomo Karim earlier on Monday, while accompanying his client for a round of questioning by KPK investigators.
"KPK investigators showed me the document stating Rusadi's status as a suspect when they picked him up for the questioning. But I do not know the charges yet," Utomo said.
Asked about his status as a suspect, Rusadi simply said "it is the consequence of my job".
The naming of Rusadi as a suspect could be connected to a decision handed down by the Commission for the Supervision of Business Competition (KPPU), which found the state lost Rp 2.15 billion from the ink procurement tender at the KPU as a result of collusion.
This collusion, according to the KPPU, involved nine firms and two KPU officials in charge of the ink procurement -- Rusadi and KPU logistics bureau head R.M. Purba.
The KPPU also found that four winning consortiums in the tender paid a total of Rp 400 million to the KPU, allegedly as kickbacks, and paid for trips to India for several KPU officials.
Also at the KPK office, investigators submitted to prosecutors on Monday the case file on Nazaruddin, one day before his detention period was set to expire, Antara reported.
Nazaruddin is accused of involvement in the collection of kickbacks from procurement firms and alleged corruption in the provision of insurance for KPU officials.
He has denied all accusations.
Meanwhile, witnesses testified as the trial of Mulyana, who is charged with bribery, continued on Monday.
KPU employee Mubari said he, Mulyana, Sussongko and Purba were directly involved in providing Rp 300 million to bribe state auditor Khairiansyah Salman to influence the results of an audit of the election body.
Purba, who testified after Mubari, denied contributing any money but said he was aware of the bribery plan.
In his testimony, KPU treasurer Hamdani admitted to having submitted four travel checks worth Rp 100 million to Mulyana at the order of Sussongko. Hamdani, however, said he did not know the purpose of the transfer, which took place on April 4 this year.
"Pak Sussongko called me and said 'Please give the money to Pak Mulyana now,'" Hamdani said.
There was no letter from KPU officials on the provision of the funds, Hamdani said, but added that he recorded the disbursement of the money.
The money came from "contributions" collected from companies that won tenders to provide election materials, according to Hamdani. He said he kept the contributions at the request from the KPU leadership.
"There was no signed receipt from Pak Mulyana after receiving the money, because we normally accepted contributions from the companies without signing receipts. We did report the use of the funds to the KPU leadership," Hamdani told the court.