KPK names new suspect in KPU case

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.