KPU Jakarta chairman's corruption trial begins
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The trials of corruption cases at the Jakarta General Elections Commission (KPU Jakarta) -- kicked off on Thursday with three dependents -- KPU Jakarta chairman Muhamad Taufik, KPUD member A. Riza Patria and treasurer Neneng Euis Susi Palupi.
The three defendants were being tried separately at the Central Jakarta district court.
They were charged under law No. 20/2001 on corruption eradication. If found guilty, the three may be jailed for life.
Prosecutor Ricky Sipayung said in his charge against Taufik that he had marked up the prices of general election materials, causing the state to incur losses amounting to Rp 29.77 billion (US$3.03 million) in 2004.
Ricky also charged that Taufik and two other defendants had marked up the prices of goods in four procurement projects -- vests for election officials, information technology (IT) and white boards as well as flags and their installation.
The three were also accused of not paying taxes to the state of Rp 4.45 billion.
Ricky alleged that in the procurement projects, Taufik and the two other defendants did not involve the KPU Jakarta secretary, who was legally representing the city administration in the commission.
Under existing regulations, the procurement of election materials must be done through the KPUD Secretariat, which is headed by a civil servant. In the case of KPUD Jakarta, the head of the secretariat was a civil servant from the city administration.
On the vest procurement, Ricky said that KPUD ordered 179,473 vests for a total price of Rp 14.27 billion on March 8, 2004, but PT Sarana Makmur Abadi, KPU Jakarta's partner, produced only 177,695.
The vests were to be distributed to members of elections committees across the capital.
Taufik was also faulted for not imposing a fine of Rp 1.01 billion on PT Sarana Makmur Abadi for failing to produce the vests on time.
The prosecutor also accused Taufik of marking up the price of information technology from Rp 6.79 billion to Rp 9.05 billion.
Information technology hardware and services were provided by PT Pharma Kasih Sentosa.
In the procurement of flags and poles, the value of mark-up reached Rp 440 million, from Rp 3.99 billion to Rp 4.43 billion. The flags and poles were supplied by PT Medikarsa Adisakti.
Taufik's lawyer Satryanto Refa said the prosecutors' charges were "inaccurate".
"I will prove the inaccuracy of the charges in my defense in the next trial," he added.