PDI-P lawmaker denies bribery a part of Miranda Goeltom vote

A lawmaker from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Panda Nababan, said Tuesday that the party's decision to vote for Miranda Swaray Goeltom during the 2004 election of the Bank Indonesia senior deputy governor was purely a result of the party's internal discussion.

“The command came from Tjahjo Kumolo, the chairman of the party's faction in the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission IX at that time. He said that it was the party's decision,” he told reporters at Warung Daun in Jakarta.

He confirmed that the party's legislators had met Miranda at Dharmawangsa Hotel in Jakarta prior to the election, but he denied that any talk of money, gifts or any form of bribery occurred during that meeting.    

“The meeting was set up as an initial meeting between the party and Miranda, but nothing special happened in the meeting. That was just an introduction,” he said.

He also denied that Tjahjo had appointed him as the coordinator of a team to ensure that Miranda would win the election in the legislature.

“No such team ever existed,” he said firmly.

The party's former lawmaker, Dudhie Makmun Murod, testified at the Corruption Court that 19 PDI-P politicians from Commission IX had accepted traveler's checks worth Rp 9.8 billion (US$1.1 million) to back the election of Miranda Swaray Goeltom.

Top-brass PDI-P politicians, such as Panda Nababan, Izedrik Emir Moeis, and Agus Condro Prayitno, were among those mentioned. Panda allegedly was given the largest amount of Rp 1.45 billion. (rdf)