Treasurer of KPU on trial for receiving kickbacks
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
General Elections Commission (KPU) treasurer M. Dentjik went on trial on Tuesday on charges of receiving kickbacks from companies that supplied materials for the 2004 elections.
During the opening session of the trial, the defendant was also charged with bribing finance ministry officials and state auditors.
Prosecutor Tumpak Simanjuntak said Dentjik gave millions of rupiah to ministry officials and lower-ranking ministry employees on several occasions between 2004 and early 2005.
"Money was given to people in the ministry's Directorate General of Budgetary Affairs to help accelerate the deliberation of the KPU budget proposed by the commission and the House of Representatives," Tumpak was quoted by Antara as telling the Anticorruption Court in Jakarta.
The prosecution also identified those people in the ministry who allegedly took bribes.
Dentjik is also charged with bribing auditors at the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) in March and October of 2004 and in January 2005. The prosecution charges the bribes were paid to influence the results of the audit of the KPU funds used to finance the 2004 general elections.
The auditors, added Tumpak, were allegedly bribed using kickbacks from the KPU's partner firms.
"... Dentjik bribed the auditors to influence the results of the BPK audit in favor of the KPU," the prosecutor said.
Tumpak also charged Dentjik with using his position in the KPU to enrich himself.
The prosecutor said Dentjik received Rp 700 million (US$69,000) from a KPU partner firm that provided land to build houses for KPU members, the secretary-general of the KPU and his deputy.
The trial was adjourned until Dec. 6, at which time the court will hear from witnesses. Dentjik's legal team waived its right to respond to the prosecution's charges.
Corruption in the KPU came to the fore following the arrest of commission member and noted criminologist Mulyana W. Kusumah by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
The commission detained Mulyana after he allegedly attempted to bribe a BPK auditor in a Jakarta hotel.
A number of KPU members, including chairman Nazaruddin Sjamsuddin, have been placed in custody by the KPK and are undergoing separate trials.