Mallarangeng denies accepting graft money in bribery case

Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng has denied accusations that his success team accepted money from a firm belonging to graft defendant Muhammad Nazaruddin in the run-up to the Democratic Party chairman election in Bandung last year.

“For me, that is not true. But if there is evidence linked to my success team’s acceptance of funds, including to whom, when and where the funds were given, then let the KPK [Corruption Eradication Commission] investigate it,” he said Tuesday as quoted by tribunnews.com.

He said that he and all the staff in his ministry were ready to respond to a KPK summons.

He also denied allegations that his younger brother, Coel Mallarangeng, had accepted money linked to the graft in the SEA Games athletes’ village construction project.

“If you recall, my brother has denied it,” he said.

Graft convict Mindo Rosalina Manulang, who was a marketing director in a company owned by Nazaruddin, previously said Rp 500 million had been given to the success team of then chairman candidate Andi Mallarangeng in the party’s Bandung congress.

The money, according to Rosa’s testimony, was part of the Rp 9 billion fee given to Nazaruddin from the SEA Games athletes’ village construction project. (awd)