Businessman detained for bribing lawmaker

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

After arresting Reform Star Party (PBR) lawmaker Bulyan Royan on Monday, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) detained a businessman for allegedly giving bribes to the legislator.

"We detained DS, the director of PT BMKP, on Tuesday morning and we are still questioning him. We haven't named him a suspect," the graft body's deputy chairman for prosecution, Chandra Hamzah, said here.

Bulyan is the fifth active House lawmaker the KPK has arrested this year for graft.

Chandra said the alleged bribes for Bulyan were connected to the procurement of patrol boats by the Transportation Ministry's Directorate General of Sea Transportation.

On Tuesday, KPK investigators searched the directorate general on Jl. Medan Merdeka Selatan in Central Jakarta and Bulyan's apartment in South Jakarta.

The director general of sea transportation, Effendi Batubara, confirmed that PT BMKP was one of five companies that won the bid to procure patrol boats.

"The Rp 115 billion (US$12.4 million) project involves the procurement of 20 third-class patrol boats. Each company is responsible for the procurement of four boats," he said, as quoted by Antara news agency.

Effendi said the ministry proposed the program to the House of Representatives through Commission V for transportation and infrastructure.

"The project was approved and a budget of Rp 25 billion has been allocated for 2008," he said.

Bulyan, a former member of Commission V, who is now on House Commission I, overseeing defense and foreign affairs, was detained at a shopping mall in South Jakarta on Monday.

He was reportedly carrying US$66,000 and 5,500 euros (not 10,000 euros as previously reported) in cash.

The graft body has accused Bulyan of violating three articles of the 1999 law on corruption, involving the bribery of state officials.

The KPK's Chandra said the graft body is still trying to determine if other parties are involved in the case.

Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said the ministry would assist the graft body's investigation in any way it could.

"We will help the KPK and provide necessary information to speed up the investigation. I have talked to Pak Antasari (Azhar, KPK chairman)," the minister said at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.

He said his talk with Antasari did not touch on other officials at the ministry.

"We did not talk about that, it's too early. But this bribery allegation has to be resolved."

Minister Jusman said the KPK would be able to determine whether more officials at the ministry were involved in the case.

"We will just follow the legal process," he said.

Reform Star Party secretary-general Usman Ali said Bulyan told him that he received the money from "someone".

"I did not force him to name the person because I felt uneasy in front of his family members, who were also visiting him," he said.

Another PBR lawmaker, Ade Daud Nasution, urged the KPK to make a thorough investigation of the case.

"They also have to investigate the government (ministry). The PBR is a small party, it's impossible that Bulyan did this all by himself," he said.

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