T

he Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) has denied speculations that the agency’s audit report, which relates to the graft-ridden Hambalang sports complex construction project, has been interfered with or modified.

“There [has been] no such intervention [from any parties] regarding the investigation into the Hambalang case. Our investigators always report progress during our meetings,” BPK chairman Hadi Purnomo told the press in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Hadi issued the statement in response to reports by the media, in the last couple of days, which have alleged interventions in the audit agency.

The speculations were raised after media agencies were exposed to a copy of the Hambalang audit that did not link Youth and Sports Minister Andi Mallarangeng to the alleged irregularities in the Rp 2.5 trillion (US$260 million) Hambalang project.

In the audit report, a copy of which was made available to The Jakarta Post, the BPK listed 20 names that were “allegedly linked to irregularities” in the Hambalang project.

The names mentioned in the audit report included Finance Minister Agus Martowardojo, Deputy Finance Minister Anny Ratnawati, former Youth and Sports Ministry secretary Wafid Muharam and former National Land Agency (BPN) head Joyo Winoto.

Oddly, the audit report did not mention Andi, who is the person many believe should be held responsible for the fraud.

Agus, the finance minister, stated that the audit should have mentioned Andi because as a minister, and the individual who would have approved a high-profile project such as this, he must have been aware of it.

Hadi, meanwhile, did not deny the validity of the document obtained by the media.

He did, however, refuse to comment on why Minister Andi’s name was not included in the BPK’s audit.

“I cannot tell [the reason]. I would violate the existing laws and codes of ethics if I [were to comment],” Hadi said, as quoted by kompas.com.

According to Hadi, the Hambalang audit is only 85 percent complete and the BPK are still working toward completing the report.

“[When it is finalized], we will hand the audit report to the House of Representatives and the law enforcers on Oct. 31,” he said.

The BPK has actually failed to meet the deadline to complete the audit, which was supposed to be handed over to the House by the end of August. This fact also leads many to speculate over whether debates or conflicting interests within the agency have held it up.

Last week, for instance, the public was exposed to a rift inside the agency.

BPK member Taufiequrachman Ruki told Kompas daily that he was disappointed that the summary of the audit report did not mention Andi. He said he would not sign the audit report until it was revised.

The Hambalang case has captured the nation’s attention because many Democratic Party figures close to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono are allegedly implicated.

Andi, a member of the party’s board of patrons, and Anas Urba-ningrum, the party chairman, are among those who have allegedly benefited from the sports complex project.

Former party treasurer and graft convict Muhammad Nazaruddin, who mentioned details about the case shortly after he was sent to jail for another corruption case, said that Anas had used funds from the Hambalang project to help win the party chairmanship election
in 2010.

To date, the KPK has named Deddy Kusdinar, the head of the financial and internal affairs bureau at the Youth and Sports Ministry, as the only suspect in the case since its investigation began in 2011. (riz)