New clues discovered in Gafur bribery case

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Police have said that a number of witnesses are willing to provide startling new testimony in the bribery scandal involving North Maluku's governor-elect Abdul Gafur, who has been charged with bribing fellow legislators to elect him governor.

Six witnesses recently questioned by North Maluku Police detectives over the scandal stated that Golkar deputy chairman Agung Laksono and Golkar member Freddy Latumahina had been part of the aggressive "victory" team set up to ensure a party win during the 2001 North Maluku gubernatorial election.

"The six witnesses were also part of the election victory team. They said that they were each offered money by Agung, Gafur and Freddy to help Golkar win the election," Sr. Comr. Prasetyo of the National Police Information Center told reporters at National Police Headquarters on Friday.

"When the six did not receive the full amount promised to them, they backed out."

Prasetyo stated that according to the witnesses, Freddy and Agung arrived on June 1, 2001 in North Maluku and conducted intensive meetings at the Hotel Century Manado.

"One witness said he was offered Rp 1 million, but only received Rp 250,000 ... the others suffered the same fate. So they all backed out," Prasetyo said.

The team's meetings at the Hotel Century Manado were also allegedly attended by North Maluku legislators, including Yamin Tawari, who is currently the North Maluku deputy governor-elect, according to the witnesses, whose identities have not been revealed.

Agung Laksono separately told reporters that he was ready to be summoned by the National Police to clarify matters as a witness in the bribery scandal.

"What I do know is that Abdul Gafur never paid out money to the legislators. I am ready to be summoned by the police to clarify the matter," Agung said.

President Megawati Soekarnoputri had earlier given her approval for police to question North Maluku's governor-elect Abdul Gafur amid allegations that he bribed fellow legislators to vote him in as governor.

Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saleh Saaf said the President's approval was required by law as Gafur was a member of the People's Consultative Assembly. Saleh, however, declined to reveal the specifics of Gafur's questioning.

Gafur's planned questioning relates to allegations of money politics in his campaign before the gubernatorial election on July 5, 2001.

The case surfaced when several legislators in the provincial legislative council revealed that two other legislators -- believed to be from rival parties -- took bribes from Gafur to drum up support for his governorship.

Gafur won the election on July 5, 2001, but the President has yet to formalize his victory, a signal that she will not approve his inauguration. While the police are investigating the case, Gafur's inauguration has been suspended indefinitely.

Gafur earlier expressed shock at being declared a suspect in the case.