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Jakarta Post

Anas’ role in Hambalang obvious: Nazaruddin

As Muhammad Nazaruddin is facing the verdict for his role in the Rp 191

Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sat, April 14, 2012

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Anas’ role in Hambalang obvious: Nazaruddin

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s Muhammad Nazaruddin is facing the verdict for his role in the Rp 191.7 billion (US$20.89 million) bribery scandal, the former Democratic Party treasurer keeps on trying to implicate party chairman Anas Urbaningrum in another graft-ridden sports project in Hambalang, West Java.

On Friday, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) took Nazaruddin from his detention cell at the Cipinang Penitentiary to the antigraft body’s headquarters for follow-up questioning into the Hambalang case.

The Youth and Sports Ministry started work on the Hambalang project in 2010 with a budget of Rp 1.2 trillion and appointed PT Adhi Karya as the project manager.

Nazaruddin allegedly used one of his companies, PT Anugrah Nusantara, also allegedly owned by Anas, to help Adhi Karya win the tender for the project.

The former lawmaker ran dozens of businesses to proxy bid for government projects that were later subcontracted to bigger companies in exchange for fees.

The KPK has questioned 57 people, mostly from Adhi Karya. But it has not named a single suspect in the case, not even Nazaruddin himself.

In his attempt to dish dirt, Nazaruddin called the KPK questioning an indication of both Adhi Karya and Anas’ involvement in the graft scandal.

“I’d say the KPK has found out about Adhi Karya’s Rp 100 billion that went into Mahfud Suroso’s pocket. It’s about time [for the KPK investigators] to verify whether Mahfud delivered the money to Yulianis,” he said.

Mahfud Suroso is in Anas’ close circle and is a director of PT Duta Sari Citralaras, while Yulianis is Nazaruddin’s confidante who is also a former finance director at one of Nazaruddin’s companies.

Nazaruddin added, however, that it was obvious that Yulianis brought half of the money [Rp 50 billion] to a 2010 party congress in Bandung “to be distributed to the party’s branch executive boards in a bid to secure Anas winning the party’s chairmanship election”.

Some of these branch executive boards have gone public with their confirmation on the money.

“Now, it depends on the KPK whether or not they want to name Anas a suspect,” he added.

Not only accusing Anas of “controlling the procurement of the Hambalang project,” Nazaruddin also said he played a great role in the issuance of its land certificate.

“Mas Anas convinced Joyo that the project was under his control,” Nazaruddin said, referring to Joyo Winoto, head of the National Land Agency (BPN), which issued the land certificate to smooth the sport facilities’ construction.

Nazaruddin later also incriminated Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng, who was also a candidate in the 2010 chairmanship.

Nazaruddin claimed Andi also accepted Adhi Karya’s money through Mahfud.

“From a total of Rp 100 billion, Yulianis got half while Andi got Rp 10 billion,” he said.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi said his office would investigate any indications mentioned by Nazaruddin’s accusation as long as he provided them with relevant data.

“If he supports his accusation with data and the data is strong, without doubt, we will track it,” Johan said.

As for Anas, Johan added, the KPK investigators had yet to set date to summon him for questioning.

“Just like what previous KPK leaderships have announced, the KPK indeed plans to question Anas in Hambalang case,” he said. “We just need to set the perfect timing.”

So far, he said, the KPK was still gathering information intensively.

Another of Nazaruddin’s confidantes, Mindo “Rosa” Rosalina Manulang, who is now serving two and half years in prison for her role in SEA Games’ case, once testified before the Jakarta Corruption Court that Nazaruddin’s company profits from such proxy bids went to the 2010 party congress. She said that at least $2 million of the profit was used there.

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