Suspect ambassador accuses Ambassador to the U.S. of graft

The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Wed, 11/26/2008 8:33 PM  |  National

Former Indonesian ambassador to Singapore Mochammad Slamet Hidayat has named four top officials who dipped into a honey pot linked to 2003 renovation plans for the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore.

Slamet accused Indonesia's current Ambassador to the United States Sudjadnan Parnohadiningrat of demanding an illegal payment of US$200,000 for the formulation of an embassy budget in 2003.

Speaking in his own defense as a graft suspect in a trial on Wednesday, Slamet said Sudjadnan, who was then the ministry's secretary general, had requested the payoff when Slamet proposed an additional budget be drawn up for the operation of the Indonesian embassy in Singapore.

Slamet is currently on trial for allegedly embezzling S$280,000 ($197,626) allocated for renovations of the Indonesian Embassy residential compound in Singapore in 2003.

Slamet's accomplice, that embassy's former treasurer and administrative division head, Erizal, was indicted on similar charges. He was accused of having embezzled S$120,000.

The embezzlement has caused the state to incur Rp 8.4 billion (US$670,000) in losses.

According to Slamet, Sudjadnan had in a telephone conversation in Nov. 2003 explicitly demanded the payoff if he were to approve the budget proposal and pass it along to the Finance Ministry for further approval.

"It was clearly stated the amount requested was non-negotiable, although I tried to explain that the sum was too high," Slamet said in his defense.

Slamet also accused Sutarni, an employee at the Foreign Ministry's treasury department, of demanding a payoff to process the proposed budget. Sutarni, he said, had demanded $120,000.

"According to him, the fee was a must if I wanted the budget approved," Slamet said.

He also said Sudjadnan had turned in some of the monies, Rp 1.45 billion, to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Slamet said all officials involved in the graft case must be brought to justice.
 

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