Zainie admits receiving KPU 'gift'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) deputy chairman Abdullah Zainie acknowledged receiving "a present" from the General Elections Commission (KPU) as antigraft investigators were beginning to investigate allegations that influential people outside the commission had received misappropriated KPU funds.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) questioned Zainie, a senior politician from the Golkar Party, on Wednesday for six hours as it expanded its probe into the alleged flow of embezzled funds from the KPU to people outside the commission.

Speaking following the questioning, Zainie said he received a package, believed to contain money, from KPU deputy treasurer M. Dentjik on Sept. 2, 2004, who told Zainie it was a wedding present for his child.

Zainie, who at the time was the head of the House of Representatives' State Budget Commission, said he attempted to return the package to Dentjik, who refused to take it, saying he had been instructed by Safder Yusacc, the then secretary-general of the KPU, to deliver the gift.

"I said to thank Dentjik (for the gift), but I told him at the time that it would be better for him to take back the package. I also told him that if it contained money, I did not need it because I had received enough (gifts) from may friends," he was quoted by Antara news agency as saying.

Zainie said he telephoned Safder several times to try and return the gift, but he declined to take it back and assured Zainie it was safe because he did not sign a receipt. Zainie said he then put the package in his room.

Although he claimed never to have opened the package, he told reporters he was sure it did not contain money. He also claimed that he eventually returned the package, though he did not say to who.

The KPK is investigating a high-profile corruption case at the KPU centering on the alleged collection of kickbacks from companies that secured procurement contracts with the elections commission, as well as the marking up of election materials during last year's general election.

Several KPU officials have said the elections commission received a total of some Rp 20 billion (US$2.10 million) in kickbacks from private firms, and that the money was distributed to all KPU officials and members, as well as some lawmakers and BPK auditors.

Earlier reports said some Rp 520 million had been distributed to BPK auditors and hundreds of million of rupiah to lawmakers.

Zainie would be the first former lawmaker and top BPK official to publicly admit to receiving money from the KPU, if the mysterious package contained money, since the case broke two months ago.