The House of Representatives' much tarnished reputation took another trip through the mud Monday when three legislators admitted they accepted bribes in a forest conversion case that also implicates lawmaker Yusuf Erwin Faishal.

Fachri Andi Leluasa, Hilman Indra and Sujud Sirajduddin, all members of the House Commission IV overseeing forestry and agriculture, told the Corruption Court they had received up to Rp 375 million (US$32,600) from Yusuf in payment for their approving a request by the South Sumatra provincial government to convert 600 hectares of a protected mangrove forest in Pantai Air Telang in Banyuasin into Tanjung Api-api seaport last year.

Yusuf, then Commission chairman, is also charged with extorting a company to win a project to overhaul an integrated radio communications system at the Forestry Ministry. The three witnesses said they had also received cash in Singaporean dollar denominations in connection with the project.

The latest Transparency International Indonesia perception index, issued recently, maintained the House among the most corrupt institutions in the country.

The Corruption Court convicted three legislators earlier this year.

Hilman told Corruption Court judges in his testimony that the initiative to ask for bribes had come from Yusuf and Sarjan Tahir, who was convicted of bribery and sentenced to 4-and-a-half years in jail in the case last month. Hilman said in a meeting at Hilman's office that the lawmakers had agreed to request Rp 5 billion from the South Sumatra administration.

“But I did not know whether the request was realized,” said Hilman of the Crescent and Star Party (PBB).

Fachri is from Golkar Party and Sujud from the National Mandate Party.

Prosecutors said businessman Chandra Antonio Tan, the director of PT Chandratex Indo Artha, a company involved in the development of a road to the seaports, had handed over Rp 5 billion in traveler's cheques in two installments: On Oct. 13, 2006, and on June 25, 2007, each worth Rp 2.5 billion.

“I was told to come to the office of the commission chairman [Yusu] in the afternoon after a meeting at Hotel Mulia [on June 25, 2007] and was given traveler's cheques worth a total of Rp 250 million,” Hilman said.

He received Rp 125 million on the second occasion.

He said he had not asked what the money was for because Yusuf had been known as a businessman and to sometimes give commission members money.

Fachri said he had received Rp 160 million from Hilman in 2007.

“This is from Pak Yusuf and is halal [permissible],” Fachri was quoted Hilman as saying. He previously received Rp 175 million in 2006.

Sujud admitted to receiving Rp 25 million in traveler's cheques from Yusuf at his office. “He said at that time it was a gift,” Sujud recalled, adding that he had only received money on that occasion.

The three witnesses acknowledged that at that time they had still been discussing the proposal by the South Sumatra administration to convert the mangrove forest in Tanjung Air Telang in Banyuasin to make way for the seaports.

The commission finally approved the proposal in July 2007.

The three witnesses said they had also received money related to the integrated radio communications system project at the Forestry Ministry.

Hilman said he had received S$20,000 and Fachri $30,000. Sujud said he had accepted the money but could not remember the amount in Singapore dollar denominations. “When I exchanged the money, I got Rp 20 million,” he said. They said the money had come from Yusuf through Golkar legislator Mukhtaruddin.

Yusuf said he had never distributed the cheques to the witnesses. The trial was adjourned until next Monday to hear testimony from Forestry Ministry officials.

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