T

he anticorruption body on Monday questioned a minister and two lawmakers in a graft case that many say highlights rampant corruption in the House of Representatives.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) questioned Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar on Monday for the first time since the high-profile bribery case centered on a Rp 500 billion (US$56 million) project at his ministry broke out.

The minister reiterated his claim that he was not involved in the case that implicated his staffers and fellow politicians from the National Awakening Party (PKB), which he also chaired. “I never gave an order [to accept bribes],” he said.

The graft scandal has put Muhaimin — who has recently come under fire for his ministry’s failure to protect Indonesian migrant workers abroad — on the list of ministers who will likely be replaced by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who vowed to reshuffle his Cabinet before Oct. 21, when the third year of his second term in office begins.

The KPK also questioned two of the four leaders of the House’s budget committee, which approved the ministry’s Regional Infrastructure Development Acceleration (PPID) scheme, worth Rp 500 billion, to build infrastructures in 19 regencies for transmigration program.

Olly Dondokambey and Tamsil Linrung finally answered the KPK’s summons after previously refusing to do so and threatening to suspend the deliberations of the 2012 state budget.

Their questioning coincided with the a consultative meeting between KPK and House leaders, who slammed the commission for what they said was an attempt to interfere with the House’s work.

Olly and Tamsil admitted that the budget committee and the Finance Ministry had approved the graft-ridden project, but denied involvement in the case. “The decision was made by me, all committee members, and the finance minister,” Olly said.

The case began when the KPK arrested businesswoman Dharnawati for allegedly giving Rp 1.5 billion in bribes to Muhaimin’s staffers, I Nyoman Suisnaya and Dadong Irbarelawan, in connection with a PPID project worth Rp 73 billion in Papua.

Dharnawati, an official from PT Alam Jaya, claimed that the bribe was meant for Muhaimin’s “Idul Fitri bonus” and that she also paid the budget committee bribe to secure the project. Suisnaya and Dadong made similar allegations about the budget committee.

The KPK said that it would continue the investigation into the case despite apparent political pressures it was now facing.