Bulyan arrest adds to House woes

Abdul Khalik ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 07/02/2008 10:53 AM  |  Headlines

House of Representatives' member Bulyan Royan of the Reform Star Party is the fifth active lawmaker to be arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for bribery this year.

Bulyan, who is from Riau, was a member of Commission V for transportation when he allegedly helped a company win a tender to procure patrol boats for the Directorate General of Sea Transportation at the Transportation Ministry earlier this year.

He was moved to Commission I for defense and foreign affairs about two weeks ago.

Bulyan was a Golkar politician before joining the Reform Star Party in 2003.

KPK investigators arrested Bulyan at a shopping mall in Jakarta on Monday. The lawmaker was carrying US$66,000 and 5,500 euros, allegedly payment for his suspected role in the patrol boat deal.

Emerson Yuntho of Indonesian Corruption Watch said Bulyan was just one of numerous legislators acting as brokers for procurement deals and regional government programs.

The KPK earlier arrested Saleh Djasit of the Golkar Party, Al Amin Nasution of the United Development Party, Hamka Yamdhu of the Golkar Party and Sarjan Taher of the Democratic Party for briber. All four lawmakers are in detention.

Saleh was arrested on March 18 for his alleged involvement in a Rp 12 billion markup in the purchase of fire engines during his term as Riau governor from 1999 to 2004.

Al Amin was arrested on April 17 at a five-star hotel in Jakarta after allegedly receiving a bribe totaling Rp 3 billion from Bintan regional secretary Azirwan for helping the regency administration win government approval to convert a protected forest into a business area.

Hamka was detained on April 17, accused of receiving Bank Indonesia money as a bribe for helping to pass a law on the central bank, while Sarjan was arrested on May 2 for alleged involvement in a South Sumatra bribery case.

The graft commission has also arrested two former lawmakers -- Anthony Zeidra Abidin of Golkar Party and Noor Adenan Razak of the National Mandate Party -- for allegedly receiving bribes in exchange for acting as brokers.

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Bali (not verified) — Wed, 07/02/2008 - 12:43pm

With the Indonesian House of Representatives (ha) commonly believed to be the most corrupt institution in Indonesia, equal first with the police, prosecutors and judges, there is plenty of action to come yet folks! As we know, no law enforcement (ha) body in Indonesia starts an investigation without a "complaint", this is clearly a case of blood letting. Tit-for-tat coming soon no doubt.

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