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span class="inline inline-left">Close friends: Paskah Suzetta, a convict in the bribery case centering on the 2004 vote-buying scandal at the House of Representatives, greets Nunun Nurbaeti, a defendant in the same case, after her trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Wednesday. Paskah, a Golkar Party politician, stood as a witness at the trial. Antara/Fanny OctavianusFearing that he could face prosecution for a second time, former national development planning (Bappenas) minister Paskah Suzetta denied allegations that he accepted any of the checks paid to swing the vote for Miranda Goeltom in the 2004 Bank Indonesia senior deputy governor election.

Paskah is currently serving a 16-month jail term after being found guilty for accepting gratuities in the same case.

The former minister was presented by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors as a witness against businesswoman Nunun Nurbaeti, who allegedly distributed the checks worth Rp 20.85 billion to at least 33 of his fellow lawmakers on the House of Representatives’ finance commission.

Prosecutor Ronald Worotikan grilled Paskah in a hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Wednesday, asking him to explain how he had paid for a Honda CRV car that has since been confiscated by the KPK as evidence in the case.

“The car, do you know why the KPK confiscated it? Do you know its connection with the traveler’s checks?” Ronald asked. “It was confiscated because it was paid for by those checks.”

Paskah, a former Golkar Party lawmaker, failed to explain how he got the car and later said that he had given up the car in 2011 as he “did not want it to be a problem”.

Paskah objected to the prosecutors’ effort to incriminate him as he did not want to face punishment twice. “I object, your honor. I have been sentenced. I am not here to face conviction again,” he said.

Presiding judge Sudjatmiko overruled, saying that it was prosecutors’ job to prove the case against Nunun. “So, this has nothing to do with your previous conviction,” he said.

Later, Paskah denied he ever received the checks. “I never accepted checks, but last year the court found me guilty,” Paskah insisted.

“I have been in the defendant’s chair and was tried day and night for three months. I am here now as a witness.”

Paskah said he would rather present his dossiers again than go through the questioning again. “It is not necessary,” Sudjatmiko replied. “Witness, I order you to just answer questions if you know the answers.”

Throughout the trial, Paskah stood by his statement that he never accepted any traveler’s check despite the court decision to sentence him to jail. “I just want to tell you that I will not change my statement to the KPK that I never accepted any checks,” he said.

In Wednesday’s hearing, Paskah also confirmed that he knew both Nunun and Miranda before the 2004 selection. He said he knew Nunun personally as she often invited him and some lawmakers to friendly gatherings of the Sundanese community in Jakarta.

He knew Miranda in his capacity as member of the House finance commission. “Because Miranda was already a Bank Indonesia official before the 2004 selection,” he said.

Responding to Paskah’s testimony, Nunun criticized the prosecutors. “I am disappointed the prosecutors asked questions that have nothing to do with my case,” she said. “Please do not repeat them again; it will only be a waste of time.”