KPK names new suspect in KPU case

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) questioned an official at the Ministry of Finance on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in a high-profile corruption case at the General Elections Commission (KPU).

Ishaq Harahap, a senior official at the ministry's Directorate General for Budgetary Affairs, showed up at the KPK building and entered the interrogation room escorted by three investigators.

Ishaq was declared as a supsect following the interrogation and was immediately detained, KPK deputy chief Tumpak Panggabean said.

Ishaq, along with Sudji Darmono, another finance ministry official who was recently arrested, is believed to have received kickbacks from the KPU to ensure the ministry approved a higher budget allocation for the commission, particularly to provide funds for election officials around the country during the 2004 polls.

Sudji was declared a suspect after being questioned last week.

The two were interrogated after KPU treasurer Hamdani Amin, who is facing corruption charges, said recently that his deputy, M. Dentjik, handed over a total of US$79,000 and Rp 342 million ($3,500) to officials at the Directorate General for Budgetary Affairs.

Corruption at the KPU came to the surface when commission member Mulyana W. Kusumah was caught in May by KPK officials allegedly trying to bribe an official from the Supreme Audit Agency to obtain a favorable audit result that would cover up graft at the KPU.

These graft practices allegedly include the collection of kickbacks from private companies winning contracts with the KPU and the marking up of costs for the purchase of election materials.

One of the suspects claimed that almost every member of the KPU received money from the kickbacks.

A number of KPU members, including the chairman of the commission, have been detained and several are currently on trial.

KPU chairman Nazaruddin Syamsuddin is scheduled to go on trial next week, while KPU members Dan Dimara and Rusadi were questioned on Monday.

The head of the general affairs section at the KPU, Bambang Budiarto, was questioned on Tuesday over alleged markups in the printing of election books, which may have caused Rp 17 billion in state losses.