Jhonny denies accepting money from transportation project

Democratic Party deputy chairman Jhonny Allen Marbun on Tuesday denied allegations he had received US$5,000 linked to a project at the Transportation Ministry.

"$5,000? What? I don't know anything about that money. I know that it's just a note. It doesn't exist," Jhonny said at the House building in Jakarta on Tuesday as quoted by tribunnews.com.

Jhonny challenged reporters to produce evidence mentioning his name.

"If you have the data, show it to me and I will comment on it," he said.

Jhonny and several other politicians; Tamsil Limrung of the Prosperous Justice Party, Yasti S. Mokoagow of the National Mandate Party (PAN) and Emir Moeis of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle(PDI-P) appear in the Jan. 25, 2008 financial report of PT Anugrah Nusantara (owned by graft suspect and former Democratic party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin) as recipients of money from the company related to a project at the Transportation Ministry.

In 2008, PT Anugrah was in charge of the procurement of 18 light aircraft and two aircraft simulators for the Indonesia Aviation Institute in Curug, Tangerang. The project was worth Rp 114.59 billion, and was one of four similar projects at the ministry at that time worth a total of Rp 298.1 billion.

During that period, Johnny served as deputy chairman of the House budgetary committee.