Police set to grill Gafur over bribery
Police set to grill Gafur over bribery
Annastashya Emmannuelle, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Abdul Gafur, a prominent figure in the Golkar party,
will be questioned by police as a witness in connection with
alleged bribery during the North Maluku gubernatorial election
which he won last year.
National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Saleh Saaf said on Monday
President Megawati Soekarnoputri had approved the questioning of
Gafur. The presidential endorsement, which was signed on Dec. 7
last year, is needed due to Gafur's status as a regional
representative of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR).
Saleh said Megawati's letter of approval is being forwarded to
the Maluku Police, who will conduct the investigation.
The North Maluku Legislature annulled Gafur's election as the
province's governor on July 25 following reports that Gafur had
given money to two local legislators, Muhammad Sahafin from the
Golkar Party and Muksin Sudara from the United Development Party
(PPP), to help him win the gubernatorial post.
Gafur has denied the allegation.
Police have yet to name Gafur as a suspect, as none of the
current witnesses questioned by the Maluku police have confessed
that they received money from Gafur.
"Thus far, none of the witness said they received the money
from Gafur ... they only said they received money from 'someone'
without specifying who," Saleh told The Jakarta Post.
Gafur reportedly gave Sahafin Rp 66 million while Sudara said
he did not receive any sum of money although he admitted that
someone had attempted to bribe him.
Both Sudara and Sahafin have provided provincial legislative
council documents related to the case, which have been accepted
as legal evidence in Gafur's case, Saleh said.
The government later set up a special team, comprising
representatives from the Directorate General of Regional
Autonomy, the home ministry inspectorate general, the Directorate
General of Regional Integrity and members of the House of
Representatives Commission II on legal and home affairs, to
investigate the alleged bribery.