Treasurer of KPU on trial for receiving kickbacks
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.