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wo lawmakers say they will take legal action against State-Owned Enterprises Minister Dahlan Iskan for allegedly slandering them.

The move comes after Dahlan showed up at the House of Representatives (DPR) on Monday to give the House’s ethics council the names of the lawmakers — two of several legislators that he said had allegedly asked for kickbacks from state-owned companies.

Lawmaker Usman Jafar, who attended the council’s closed-door meeting with Dahlan on Monday, has identified the lawmakers as Sumaryoto, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker on House Commission XI overseeing finance, and Idris Laena, a Golkar Party lawmaker from Commission VI on state-owned eneterprises.

Sumaryoto’s attorney said his client was innocent. “The House’s ethics council has confirmed that Pak Sumaryoto is one of the two names mentioned by him [Dahlan]. We demand that Dahlan provide evidence, because my client has denied the allegation,” Warsito Sanyoto, Sumaryoto’s lawyer, told reporters on Tuesday.

“We will sue him for defamation if he cannot prove it,” Warsito added.

The lawyer called for an audit of the finances of PT Merpati Nusantara Airlines to track between Rp 5 billion (US$519,750) and Rp 18 billion that was allegedly transferred to Sumaryoto in exchange for his approval of a capital infusion for the airline.

Separately, the second lawmaker named by Dahlan, Idris Laena, said that he too would prepare legal action.

“I’m preparing myself to give clarification, because the person I am facing now is a media tycoon and a very influential one,” Idris said, referring to Dahlan, the owner of the Jawa Pos media group.

“I am worried the news about me will be biased. Thus, I will talk when I’m ready,” Idris commented via a text message.

Idris allegedly demanded kickbacks from state salt producer PT Garam and state-owned shipyard company PT PAL.

House’s ethics council member Usman also disclosed on Thursday that another House Commission VI lawmaker identified as IS allegedly attempted to extort officials at state-run diversified group PT Rajawali Nusantara Indonesia (RNI), which is run by president director Ismed Hasan Putro.

“After a tough discussion, Pak Ismed from RNI finally identified the lawmaker as IS, who demanded 2,000 tons of sugar to be distributed to voters.

“If proven guilty, this lawmaker can suffer punishment for attempting to abuse his authority,” Usman said.

While some lawmakers expressed concern about Dahlan’s continued eagerness to disclose allegations of extortion in the House, others saw the minister’s move as the latest in a series of grandstanding, self-aggrandizing actions.

Critics have said that the timing of Dahlan’s allegations may be connected to the previously announced plan of lawmakers to question the minister on irregularities at state-own electricity company PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara (PLN) that led to Rp 37.6 trillion in state losses.

The alleged irregularities took place when the company was headed by Dahlan.

Usman said that some lawmakers have made the connection between the PLN probe and Dahlan’s
allegations.

“We don’t know for sure, but some lawmakers, particularly those from House Commission VII on energy affairs have thought so because they are planning to summon Dahlan for his explanation,” Usman said.

Meanwhile, lawmakers have also challenged Dahlan to make good on a promise to reveal the names of other lawmakers who allegedly extorted officials at the State-Owned Enterprises Ministry, as Dahlan previously announced that he received reports that 10 lawmakers were engaged in such practices.

Dahlan said he would submit a written report to the House’s ethics council on Wednesday that would name the lawmakers.