Businessman admits offering bribe to official

JAKARTA: Businessman Hontjo Kurniawan, who was charged with bribing lawmaker Abdul Hadi Djamal to gain infrastructure development contracts, has admitted to offering 0.5 percent of the Rp 100 billion worth of projects to Darmawati Dareho, a ministry official brokering the project.

"I promised her 0.5 percent if I won the tender," Hontjo, the commissioner of PT Kurnia Jaya Wirabhakti, told the Corruption Court here Monday.

However, the payment was never made because the businessman, along with Abdul and Darmawati, was arrested before the House of Representatives had approved the project.

Hontjo said when he proposed to Abdul to approve the infrastructure project so that his company would win the tender, he agreed to Abdul's terms to provide a Rp 3 billion (US$290,785) kickback.

The payment was made in several installments: The first was US$80,000 and Rp 32 million on Feb. 26; $70,000 was paid later that day; and the last payment, $90,000, plus Rp 54 million, was paid on March 2.

All payments were made through ministry official Darmawati Dareho, who has also been named a suspect in the case. - JP