T

he President asked the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to probe graft allegations implicating Democratic Party politicians involved in a Southeast Asian Games construction project.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono made the statement at an impromptu press conference after landing at Halim Perdanakusuma Airport in Jakarta on Wednesday following a working visit to Bali.

“There should not be discrimination [in enforcing the law] and no picking and choosing – even if it involves members of the Democratic Party or any officials from my government,” he told reporters.

Yudhoyono said he was speaking in his capacity as a member of the party’s advisory council. “The law must be enforced. It is my stance and it will never change,” he said.

The President did not mention specific names, saying he had followed recent media reports and public discussions of graft allegations implicating several politicians, including some from the Democratic Party.

Two lawmakers from Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party, Muhammad Nazaruddin and Angelina Sondakh, allegedly used their influence to help a businessman bribe Youth and Sports Ministry official Wafid Muharram to win a contract to build the athlete’s village for the Southeast Asian Games in Palembang, South Sumatra.

Angelina and Nazaruddin, the Democratic Party treasurer, have denied the allegations.

Nazaruddin’s name was first mentioned by Mindo Rosalina Manulang, another suspect in the case.

During preliminary questioning, Manulang claimed she was ordered by Nazaruddin to accompany Muhammad El Idris, who worked for PT Duta Graha Indah (DGI), to pay a Rp 3.2 billion (US$ 374,400) bribe to Wafid, the secretary to Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng.

The money was allegedly paid to Wafid as a “finder’s fee” for paving way for the company to win the Rp 197 billion contract.

Angelina’s name emerged in connection to the case in a story published by Tempo magazine, which quoted Rosalina’s former lawyer, Kamaruddin Simanjuntak, who said Angelina had also asked DGI for a bribe. Through his lawyer, Erman Umar, Wafid admitted meeting Nazaruddin several times last year.

The statement contradicted Nazaruddin’s previous claim that he “never knew anyone by the name of Wafid”. Nazaruddin also said that he never knew Rosalina.

Yudhoyono warned that investigations of political party members should not be linked to politics.

“The investigation of politicians who allegedly violate the law by the KPK or other law enforcement officials is not a political matter,” Yudhoyono said.

The President said the KPK should run its investigations in a transparent and accountable manner so that the public could learn the truth.

“We have questioned Nazaruddin and Angelina and we found nothing. Until the KPK says otherwise we will regard them as innocent,” Democratic Party internal inquiry chief Benny Kabur Harman said on Wednesday as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

Benny said that statements alleging that Angelina and Nazaruddin accepted bribes were lies.

Seperately, the Democratic Party’s corruption eradication division chief, Didi Irawady, said he expected that the KPK would conduct a thorough investigation.

“We are not hiding anything because we believe they are innocent.”