SBY summoned me before my escape, says Nazaruddin

Former Democratic Party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin says that prior to his departure abroad to avoid punishment, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the party’s chief patron, had summoned him to his residence in Cikeas, Bogor.

“When the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) questioned me for a third time, I told investigators about what happened on May 23. I was summoned by [the President] to Cikeas,” Nazarrudin told a panel of judges during his first hearing at Jakarta Corruption Court on Wednesday.

However, the investigators had not pursued the issue and instead focused on his escape to Singapore, Nazaruddin said as quoted by tempo.co.

Nazaruddin is on trial for his alleged role in a bribery linked to the construction of an athletes village for the SEA Games.

He is charged with allegedly accepting bribes worth Rp 4.34 billion from businessman Muhammad El Idris of PT Duta Graha Indah, the contractor for the construction project.

Three other people have also been named suspects in the case, including Nazaruddin's sidekick Mindo Rosalina Manullang and Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry secretary Wafid Muharram.

After the hearing, Nazaruddin said his “superior” had ordered him to go to Singapore, but declined to name who this was.