KPK suspects unfair play in SEA Games construction projects

Hans Nicholas Jong, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Fri, April 12 2013, 8:36 AM

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The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) found indicators suggesting massive corruption could have taken place in the construction projects for the athletes’ village at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Palembang, South Sumatra.

After focusing on the bribery allegations connected to the project, the antigraft body is now investigating the dubious construction procurement scheme.

“The KPK decided to dig deeper into the case to see whether there was a budget markup, kick backs or power abuses,” KPK spokesman Johan Budi told a press conference at the KPK’s headquarters in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

The investigations into the bribery allegations implicated several Democratic Party politicians.

“We are not done yet. We have also found that this involved money laundering with former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin being one of suspects,” Johan said.

Johan said that KPK investigators working on the case over the last few months and had uncovered new evidence.

“In this athletes village case, we summoned Deddy Kusdinar, the former head of the financial and internal affairs bureau at the Youth and Sports Ministry, who had earlier been named suspect in the Hambalang graft case,” Johan said.

The KPK also questioned South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin.

A source within the KPK said investigators would now target South Sumatra administration officials

Thursday’s announcement by the KPK came only two months before the start of the South Sumatra gubernatorial election, slated for June 6.

Alex, who lost his bid for the Jakarta governor position last year, is expected to run for a second term.

Many charged the KPK’s move as political as it would affect Alex’s candidacy. Johan denied the allegations, saying that the KPK was free from any interference.

“The investigation has nothing to do with the election. Our domain is law, not politics,” he said. “We have been investigating this case for a long time.”

The case started as a bribery allegation made against Nazaruddin, who served as a middleman between the ministry, PT Duta Graha Indah (DGI) — winner of a tender for the project, the House of Representatives budgetary committee and local officials.

The Jakarta Corruption Court successfully sentenced a number of suspects implicated in the case, including Wafid Muharam, former secretary to the Youth and Sports Ministry; Mindo “Rosa” Rosalina Manullang, a confidante of Nazaruddin; Mohamad El Idris, former marketing manager at PT DGI; and former Democratic Party lawmaker Angelina Sondakh.

Wafid was sentenced to five years in jail in late 2011 for accepting Rp 3.2 billion (US$330,000) in bribes to rig bids in favor of DGI, while Rosa and El Idris received sentences of two years and six months and two years respectively for bribing Wafid.

Angelina is currently serving a four-and-a-half year tern for accepting Rp 2.5 billion and US$1.2 million from the Permai Group. Nazaruddin the owner of he Permai Group received a seven-year sentence for being the mastermind behind the bribery scheme.

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