Prosecutors have charged former National Mandate Party (PAN) legislator, Abdul Hadi Djamal, with accepting bribes and gratuities to help a businessman secure tenders for infrastructure projects in East Indonesia.
Under the corruption law, the charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment.
“The defendant as a member of the House of Representatives’ Commission V, overseeing transportation, and as a member of the House budgetary committee, received funds in several installments from [businessman] Hontjo Kurniawan,” said prosecutor Suwarji, reading out the indictment at the Corruption Court in Jakarta on Wednesday.
The House’s budgetary committee was discussing a Rp 100 billion (US$9.81 million) budget for the 2009 Transportation Ministry’s stimulus program when Hontjo contacted the defendant to ask for his endorsement of the proposed budget.
“Hontjo promised to provide Rp 3 billion to smooth the process,” Suwarji said.
The payment was made in several installments: The first payment was US$80,000, followed by Rp 32 million on Feb. 26, while $70,000 was paid later that day. The last payment, worth $90,000, plus Rp 54 million, was paid on March 2.
All the payments were made through the ministry official, Darmawati Dareho, who has also been named as a suspect in the case.
“The defendant then ordered Commission V administration staff member, Abdul Hanan, to hand over the $80,000 and Rp 32 million to Jhonny Allen Marbun, who was the deputy head of the budgetary committee,” said the prosecutor.
The order was carried out on Feb. 27 at Aston Residence, Kuningan, where Hanan handed over the money to Jhonny’s employee Resko.
After the third payment was handed over by Darmawati to Abdul in a car after a meeting in Riung Sari Restaurant, both Abdul and Darmawati were arrested by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) officials when they reached the Sudirman area near Karet, Central Jakarta.
The KPK then confiscated the payment money.
“The defendant knows the gifts were made to persuade him to process and support the approval of the stimulus program budget,” said the prosecutor.
Darmawati and Hontjo are also standing trial in a separate but similar corruption case.
They are both charged with violating Article 5 (1) of the 1999 corruption law on bribery and face a maximum sentence of five years imprisonment.
The presiding judge in the Darmawati trial previously asked the prosecutors to present Jhonny, a legislator from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, in her next hearing because the legislator had been mentioned several times by key witnesses.
The KPK has yet to name Jhonny as a suspect in the case although in earlier trials, Abdul and other witnesses testified that Jhonny received Rp 1 billion in bribes.
Abdul’s assistant Hanan told judges on Monday that he was told to meet with Pak Jhonny Allen’s aide, Resco, and hand over the money.
Hanan said he gave the money to Resco at the Aston Residence in Kuningan, South Jakarta, in February this year.
Andi M. Jayasman, who was asked to accompany Hanan, verified Hanan’s testimony.
