Yogyakarta councillors take bribes, alleges witness
Yogyakarta councillors take bribes, alleges witness
Asip A. Hasani, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta
Provincial prosecutors made significant headway in their
investigation into alleged bribery involving local councillors
when a witness disclosed on Friday that a meeting had been held
to discuss the amount of the bribes.
Spokesman for the provincial prosecutor's office Ranu Miharja
said that during his questioning as a witness, provincial
legislature deputy speaker Nur Achmad Affandi admitted that a
number of councillors met with provincial administration
officials in January to talk about the money requested by
councillors.
Nur Achmad, who also attended the meeting, told the
prosecutors the money, amounting to Rp 150 million, was to ensure
that the councillors approved the last Rp 9 billion disbursement
from the provincial budget for the completion of the Jogja Expo
Center (JEC) building being built by state-run construction
company PT Adhi Karya.
"This is important information. We now can conclude that the
bribes were given upon the request of the councillors," Ranu
said.
Nur Achmad is one of 25 councillors who have been summoned for
questioning as witnesses in the scandal after prime suspect
Herman Abdurrahman revealed that his colleagues had accepted
bribes.
The prosecutors also quizzed another legislator Bugiakso on
Wednesday.
Apart from Herman, chief of the United Development Party (PPP)
faction at the provincial legislature and the construction
company's director Duljiman has also been declared a suspect.
Ranu, however, refused to comment on speculation that Duljiman
would be exonerated from all charge following Nur Achmad's
account.
"We can't jump to such a conclusion. Let's just wait and see,"
he said.
Provincial council speaker Surasmo Priyandono and his deputy
Totok Daryanto are scheduled to be questioned as witnesses on
Saturday.
It will apparently take the prosecutors weeks to complete
their investigation. Agus Subagyo of the Indonesian Democratic
Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) faction and Golkar faction
chief Khairuddin have also been summoned.
"It will also be important for us to obtain information from
Agus Subagyo and Khairuddin, as both have admitted to having
received bribes, which they later returned," chief of the team of
prosecutors investigating the scandal, Hendar Sutarna, told The
Jakarta Post.
Sutarna also said that his office had questioned several
officials of the provincial administration as witnesses,
including provincial administration secretary Bambang S.
Priyohadi.