Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) chairman Anis Matta played it safe during a graft trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Thursday when he testified for corruption suspect Ahmad Fathanah.

During the trial session, the court'€™s panel of judges pressed him on allegations that the PKS demanded Rp 10 billion (US$870,000) from Makassar Major Ilham Arief Sirajuddin, before settling in for Rp 8 billion, to help him get elected in the 2012 South Sulawesi gubernatorial election.

Anis, who served as the party'€™s secretary-general at the time of the election, claimed that he knew nothing about the cash payment, arguing that the party'€™s central executive board (DPP) did not deal directly with issues at the local level.

'€œUsually if the process [of giving the party'€™s support in regional elections] is still underway, we don'€™t follow the detail. The party'€™s support to Ilham'€™s candidacy was conveyed to us but not in a written statement, but if [we'€™re talking] about the number then I don'€™t remember,'€ he told the panel of judges at the court in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

He maintained that Ilham'€™s candidacy was handled by the party'€™s provincial branch in South Sulawesi (DPW), and that the central board only issued a letter declaring the party'€™s support for Ilham.

'€œThe letter was issued by the DPP based on the recommendation from the DPW,'€ Anis said.

According to him, there are lots of considerations taken by the party before declaring its support behind certain election candidates, but money is not one of the issues handled by the DPP.

Ilham, who lost the election despite being supported by several political parties, including the PKS, testified last week that it was Anis who assured him of Fathanah'€™s ability to handle the whole deal.

Ilham said that, Fathanah served as a middleman, seeking an endorsement for his bid including from PKS leaders such as then PKS chairman Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq and Anis.

Ilham added that it was Anis who proposed the figure of Rp 10 billion.

While Anis claimed that he played little part in Ilham'€™s candidacy, the court revealed that Anis had a talk with Fathanah regarding the party'€™s strategy in ensuring Ilham'€™s victory by conducting a quick count.

'€œFathanah once asked me for advice to hold a quick count for the gubernatorial election. I advised him that it was better for him to work with a survey institute,'€ Anis said.

Ilham turned down the quick count proposal as he would foot the bill for the project.

The court also revealed that the relationship between Anis and Fathanah had run deeper than previously thought with the two talking about a business opportunity with a British businessman.

Also testifying in the graft trial was swimsuit model and actress, Ayu Azhari, who revealed that she received US$1,800 from Fathanah.

'€œThe money was a down payment,'€ Ayu said.

Ayu said that she got the money for her service as an entertainer in local election campaigns at nine locations.

The award-winning actress however denied she had an affair with Fathanah. To disprove her claim, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK)'€™s prosecutors demanded the judges to play a wiretapped conversation between Ayu and Fathanah.

The judges, however, turned down the request, saying it had nothing to do with the money laundering charges brought against Fathanah.

Ayu, having listened to the wiretapped conversation in private, said that she was being professional with Fathanah. '€œAs an artist, it is normal for me to talk in an intimate way. I spoke to him in a hushed tone or called him '€˜my dear'€™ that'€™s nothing unusual.'€ Ayu told the court.

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