Zainie admits receiving KPU 'gift'

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.