KPK to question Miranda again on ‘missing link’ in vote-buying case

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) says investigators will keep looking for “missing links” in the 2004 Bank Indonesia vote-buying scandal that has sent several lawmakers to prison.

The KPK would summon Miranda S. Goeltom, whose candidacy for a senior central bank position was at the center of the scandal, for another interrogation session, according to KPK spokesperson Johan Budi.

“Without a doubt, we will question her again, although we have not set a date,” Johan said on Monday.

Johan said investigators would further investigate the connections between those who accepted and those who offered bribes in the case.

Graft suspect and high-profile businesswoman Nunun Nurbaeti was the key, Johan said.

“We are still investigating Nunun’s role in the case. Nunun is one of the avenues to explore as to who or what is behind the ‘missing link’. It also depends on how much essential information Nunun can give us,” he said.

Last week, bribery convict Paskah Suzzeta, a senior Golkar Party lawmaker on House Commission IX overseeing finance at the time of the scandal, told reporters that the KPK must identify the “missing link” who lied in the case to implicate Miranda.

Paskah, also a former national development planning minister, began serving a 16-month prison sentence in mid-June for accepting bribes in the scandal.

As many as 480 traveler’s checks, worth Rp 24 billion in total, were distributed to 33 members of Commission IX after they held a “fit-and-proper” test for Miranda and two other candidates, Hartadi Agus Sarwono and Budi Rochadi.

The bribes were allegedly given by Nunun to help Miranda win the position.

The commission voted to appoint Miranda to the post by 41 votes, while Budi got 12 votes and
Hartadi one.

The KPK has successful prosecuted dozens of lawmakers — mostly from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the Golkar Party, as well as from the United Development Party (PPP) — in the scandal, although none of the bribe payers have been named.

The Jakarta Corruption Court previously determined that Bank Artha Graha purchased the checks from Bank Internasional Indonesia (BII) in 2004 under the name of PT First Mujur Plantation and Industry.

First Mujur finance director Budi Santoso testified before the court that he did not understand how the Rp 24 billion had got into lawmakers’ pockets, as the funds were supposed to be used by company president director Hidayat Lukman to pay Ferry Yan, who died in 2007 before the allegations surfaced, for the purchase of an oil palm plantation in North Sumatra.

Separately, Nunun was taken to Soekanto National Police Hospital in East Jakarta on Saturday for treatment.

It was the third time she was admitted to the hospital after her arrest in Thailand in December.

Johan said that the KPK would await medical clearance from police and KPK doctors before returning Nunun to detention at Pondok Bambu Penitentiary in East Jakarta.

Her lawyer hinted that Nunun, the wife of former National Police deputy chief Adang Daradjatun, needed a health examination to ensure she was fit to return to her detention cell.

Despite Nunun’s illness, the KPK said she managed to get through four questioning sessions and answer 64 questions.