KPK, House make truce as budget talks resume

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has agreed to attend a meeting with the House of Representatives’ leadership as lawmakers continue deliberation of the 2012 state budget over the weekend.

The decision ended a week of tension between the two institutions that had resulted in the suspension of the deliberation of the 2012 state budget by the House’s budget committee.

The lawmakers decided to suspend the budget talks over their concerns that the antigraft body would target them in alleged corruption cases linked to the state budget.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi confirmed on Sunday that the KPK maintained its stance of resuming investigations that might be linked to lawmakers despite having agreed to meet House leaders on Monday.

He said that the antigraft body is also scheduled to question two budget committee leaders, Tamsil Linrung of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and Olly Dondokambey of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), as well as Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar on Monday.

“KPK has decided to attend the meeting because House leaders have promised not to involve any lawmakers implicated in corruption cases under KPK investigation in the meeting,” he said.

Two ministry officials, Dadong Irbarelawan and I Nyoman Suisnaya, have been arrested for allegedly accepting Rp 1.5 billion in bribes from businesswoman Dharnawati to accelerate budget disbursement for an infrastructure project in Manokwari, West Papua.

The three, now in KPK custody, were allegedly caught red-handed shortly after Dharnawati delivered the money.

The case developed a twist when Dharnawati accused lawmakers and Muhaimin’s aides of accepting some of the project funds.

The projects the KPK is currently probing are part of the ministry’s projects in 19 regencies across the country under the Regional Infrastructure Development Acceleration (PPID) scheme, worth a total of Rp. 499.9 billion.

Four leaders of the budget committee were questioned two weeks ago, prompting allegations from the lawmakers that KPK had targeted their legal budgeting functions.

Although KPK has denied targeting the committee, lawmakers have taken the questioning seriously and invited KPK to clarify the position of lawmakers with regard to state budget deliberation.

Tamsil and Olly refused to fulfill the KPK summons last week following the House leaders’ public statement expressing wariness over KPK’s move to investigate the case which they said “might infringe the budgetary committee’s authority in state budgeting”.

Johan refused to speculate if Monday’s questioning sessions would result in the lawmakers and the minister being named suspects.

“One thing is for sure, the KPK will base its investigation on facts and evidence, not political influences. Let the investigators do their job,” he added.

The committee is currently deliberating the budget bill in Bogor, West Java.

Tamsil confirmed he and Olly would ask permission to skip the budget talks to fulfill the KPK summons but did not disclose if his decision was linked with KPK finally accepting the House leaders’ meeting invitation.