More evidence found in lawmaker’s bribery case

The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 04/11/2008 12:08 PM | Headlines

A large wad of cash found during the arrest of House of Representatives member Al Amin Nasution for alleged corruption has been seized as evidence in the case.

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) spokesman Johan Budi said Thursday the S$33,000 cash was discovered in one of the rooms at the hotel in Kuningan, South Jakarta, where Amin and Bintan regional secretary Azirwan were arrested early Wednesday.

Johan said the investigators had yet to determine whether the money was part of the alleged bribe.

“We are still investigating the motive behind the transfer of the money to Amin,” Johan told a press conference.

The KPK caught Amin accepting Rp 4 million in cash from Azirwan, who was also arrested. The investigators also confiscated Rp 67 million in cash from Amin.

Amin, from the Muslim-based United Development Party (PPP), is a member of the House’s Commission IV overseeing forestry.

He is being detained by the Jakarta Police for 20 days. Azirwan is being held at the South Jakarta Police detention center.

Johan said Amin had told the investigators he did not know Azirwan.

“But we would not accept his statement, because we always rely on solid evidence,” he said.

The arrests were made in connection with the Bintan administration’s request for approval from the Forestry Ministry to convert around 200 hectares of a 7,300-hectare conservation forest into an office complex.

Amin and Azirwan were arrested just hours after Commission IV held a meeting with Forestry Minister Malam Sambat Ka’ban to discuss the proposal, which Amin attended.

Johan said the KPK had considered summoning other commission members for an explanation of the forest conversion proposal.

Earlier the same day, the House’s disciplinary council had reported to the KPK that 10 Commission IV members, including Amin, visited Bintan, Riau Islands, before discussing the forest conversion proposal.

Chairman of Commission IV, Ishartanto, rejected speculation the approval of the forest conversion was related to the bribery case.

“We reached this decision based on a recommendation from an expert team formed by the government,” he said.

The team comprised 16 researchers from institu-tions such as the Indonesian Institute of Sciences and the Bogor Institute of Agriculture.

After visiting Amin in jail, Lukman Hakim, chairman of the PPP faction in the House, said he doubted his colleague had accepted a bribe.

“It’s impossible anyone would offer a lawmaker an amount of money that small. It’s humiliating,” he said. (ewd/alf/trw)

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