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AKARTA: A Democratic Party politician said that party chairman Anas Urbaningrum did play a role in the scandal surrounding the construction of a sports center in Hambalang, West Java.

Ignatius Mulyono, a Democratic Party lawmaker, claimed that Anas once asked him to contact the head of the National Land Agency (BPN) Joyo Winoto for an update on land clearance at the location.

“Pak Anas asked for a favor to ask about the land for the Youth and Sports Ministry and why it was taking so long,” Mulyono told reporters after facing a questioning session by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Monday night.

Mulyono said that Anas, when making the request in 2009, was chairman of the Democratic Party faction at the House.

Mulyono claimed that he never managed to reach Joyo but he learned that three weeks later land titles for the new sport complex were ready.

Graft defendant M. Nazaruddin repeatedly said that Anas played a significant role in rigging the Hambalang project.

Nazaruddin had testified before the Jakarta Corruption Court that Anas had used money from the athletes’ village and Hambalang projects to buy votes from local party leaders in the race for the Democratic Party chairmanship in 2010.

The Hambalang construction project began in 2010 with a budget of Rp 1.2 trillion (US$133.3 million). The project was managed by PT Adhi Karya, a company controlled by Anas, according to Nazaruddin’s allegations.

Anas has denied the allegations, saying that he would be ready to receive capital punishment if it was proved that he had used money from the project.