Police to question Abdul Gafur over bribe

Yogita Tahil Ramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Megawati Soekarnoputri had given her approval to allow police to question North Maluku's governor elect Abdul Gafur amid allegations he bribed fellow legislators to vote him governor, the National Police said on Wednesday.

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 the alleged money politics involved in his campaign before the gubernatorial election on July 5, 2001.

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

Gafur won the election on July 5, 2001, but so far, the president has yet to formalize his victory, a signal that she will not approve his inauguration.

Anticorruption laws and the Criminal Code provide punishment for both those giving a bribe and those taking one.

While the police are investigating the case, Gafur's inauguration has been suspended indefinitely.

Meanwhile, Gafur expressed his shock at being declared a suspect in the case.

"I was never questioned by police over this case. How can I be declared a suspect," Gafur told reporters, as quoted by Antara.

According to Gafur, the incident began when Golkar Party member Muhammad Sahafin made a written statement alleging Gufur was involved in money politics during the elections.

"He made that statement on July 6 in 2001. But, on Dec. 10 last year, Sahafin retracted his written statement against me, and he stated that he was pressured by a certain party to sign the initial statement against me," Gafur said.

"When Sahafin has already retracted his written statement, why am I being called a suspect?"

The Police in North Maluku have also declared a local legislator a suspect in connection with the bribe scandal.

"I will not give you the suspect's name. He was the one who had received the money, allegedly from Gafur," former North Maluku Police chief Insp. Gen. Farouk Muhammad told reporters at the National Police Headquarters in Jakarta on Tuesday.

"Gafur is not a suspect yet... but we are getting there. Gafur will most likely be questioned later by National Police, since this case involves very complicated evidence."

A source at National Police stated that the suspect was Muhammad Sahafin from the Golkar Party.

"It is Sahafin... since he was the one who received Rp 66 million from Gafur," the police officer told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

The source added that Sahafin, currently in North Maluku police custody over bribery charges, was arrested at the Sultan Baabullah Airport after a visit to Jakarta.

Gafur reportedly gave Sahafin Rp 66 million while United Development Party legislator Sudara said he did not receive any money although he admitted that someone had attempted to bribe him.

Both Sudara and Sahafin have provided provincial legislative council documents relating to the case, which have been accepted as evidence.

Farouk made his comments after handing over his post to the new North Maluku Police Chief, Brig. Gen. Sunarko, during a ceremony at the National Police Headquarters on Tuesday.