Miranda remains confident ahead of trial

Graft suspect Miranda Swaray Goeltom will soon stand trial as the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) announced on Friday that her dossier was solid and had been handed over to the Jakarta Corruption Court.

Despite the statement from the antigraft body, Miranda said she believed the KPK didn’t have enough evidence that could be used to send her to prison.

“We will see at the trial. I believe there is no evidence proving that I have done anything [illegal]. There is also no evidence of me ordering anyone to do anything,” she told reporters on Friday.

She thanked the KPK for completing its investigation relatively quickly as she had requested, “I feel the same as the public. I cannot wait to know the truth.”

The trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court should begin within 14 days after the KPK submitted Miranda’s dossier on Friday.

KPK chairman Abraham Samad confirmed in a press conference on Friday that Miranda’s dossier was “complete and ready for trial”.

Earlier, Abraham had said the commission would wrap up the case against Miranda by the end of this month and hand it over to the Jakarta Corruption Court shortly after that.

Miranda, a former Bank Indonesia senior deputy governor, has been named a suspect for her involvement in the 2004 vote-buying case surrounding her election as senior deputy governor n that year.

Twenty-eight lawmakers have been convicted for accepting bribes in Miranda’s election, as well as businesswoman Nunun Nurbaeti, the wife of Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician Adang Daradjatun.

Most of the convicted lawmakers have finished their prison terms and Miranda is the latest person to be prosecuted in the vote-buying scandal.

Miranda has been accused of bribing the lawmakers with Rp 20.85 billion (US$2.25 million) in the form of hundreds of travelers’ checks – each worth Rp 50 million, to swing the vote for Miranda.

Miranda, known for being a Jakarta socialite, allegedly paid out the money using Nunun as a middle woman. Nunun reportedly ordered her subordinate Arie Malangjudo to distribute the checks on June 8, 2004.

During Nunun’s court proceedings, it was revealed that Miranda had met with several members of the House of Representatives’ finance commission at a restaurant at South Jakarta’s Dharmawangsa Hotel.

One of Miranda’s lawyers Dody Abdul Kadir reiterated that the KPK’s evidence was not sufficient.

“Their only proof is a bill [from the Dharmawangsa Hotel’s restaurant],” he said.

When asked about the Dharmawangsa meeting Miranda said that anybody could have had such a meeting.

“The KPK and the members of Financial Service Authority [OJK] have also done that [had a meeting at the Dharmawangsa]. We are allowed to have meetings [with lawmakers],” she said.

The KPK kicked off its investigation into the case in early 2009, following a confession by former Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker, Agus Condro Prayitno, in late 2008.

According to Agus, he and other lawmakers on the House’s finance commission had accepted a number of traveler’s checks in return for voting for Miranda.

Abraham had earlier said that the KPK was currently focusing on Miranda but prosecutors were also closing in on other “benefactors” involved in the vote-buying in the senior deputy governor election.