Nurhayati speaks her defense plea
Rabby Pramudatama, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | National | Tue, June 19 2012, 5:35 PM
Wa Ode Nurhayati: (JP/Ricky Yudhistira)
Former member of the House of Representatives budget committee Wa Ode Nuhayati delivered her defense plea before the Jakarta Corruption Court on Tuesday, saying that the prosecutors’ indictment was based only on assumptions.
Nurhayati was indicted on Thursday last week over bribery and money laundering allegations surrounding the deliberation of the 2011 Regional Infrastructure Adjustment Fund (DPID).
“I humbly state that the indictment was only based on assumptions that were sourced from [Golkar faction staff] Haris Andi Surahman testimony instead on facts,” Wa Ode said on Tuesday.
At the trial, prosecutors indicted that Nurhayati had accepted a total of Rp 6.25 billion (US$662,500) from three businessmen.
Haris Andi Surahman is allegedly a middleman who distributes the bribe money from Fadh El Fouz, one of the businessmen to Nurhayati. Nurhayati’s lawyer, her sister Wa Ode Nur Zaenab said that Nurhayati has never been summoned for questioning during the case’s investigation process.
Nurhayati, a National Mandate Party (PAN) politician, was known as a whistle-blower who disclosed alleged illicit practices surrounding the corruption case before the KPK named her a suspect.
