Panda Nababan a lawmaker no more

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The House of Representatives’ ethics council has permanently dismissed convicted Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker, Panda Nababan.

“He was dismissed before the House recess,” deputy ethics council head, Siswono Yudhohusodo, said on Friday as quoted by kompas.com.

The House entered its recess period on July 16, and the break will last until Aug. 15.

PDI-P secretary-general, Tjahjo Kumolo, said on Friday that Panda had long ago submitted a letter of resignation as a House member after the ethics council suspended him for his alleged involvement in the vote-buying case surrounding the election of Miranda S. Goeltom as Bank Indonesia’s (BI) senior deputy governor in 2004.

“Pak Panda had submitted his resignation letter long before the council’s decision,” Tjahjo said.

However, Panda was still a member of the PDI-P, although he no longer held any position on the party’s central board, Tjahjo said.

The Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced Panda to 17 months imprisonment and ordered him to pay a Rp 50 million (US$5,450) fine, after finding him guilty of accepting Rp 500 million to back Miranda’s candidacy in the BI case.

The Jakarta High Court upheld the lower court’s verdict last year. (fzm/iwa)