The trial of graft suspect Anggoro Widjojo has revealed that former forestry minister MS Kaban '€” who is chairman of the Islamic-based Crescent Star Party (PBB) '€” allegedly asked for bribe money from Anggoro in return for a multimillion US dollar government project.

Anggoro, the owner of PT Masaro Radiokom who was arrested in China in February after being on the run for nearly four years, attended his first hearing at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Wednesday.

He is accused of bribing lawmakers and ministry officials, including Kaban, to secure the Forestry Ministry'€™s Rp 180 billion (US$15.4 million) project to procure an Integrated Radio Communication System (SKRT) in 2007.

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors told the court that after sending the project'€™s budget proposal to the Finance Ministry for approval, Kaban demanded that Anggoro buy two elevators, worth $58,581, and pay the Rp 200 million cost to install them in the Menara Dakwah building where PBB activities were usually conducted. '€œAfter a meeting conducted at Kaban'€™s official residence in March 2008, the defendant agreed to Kaban'€™s request to provide two elevators for the Menara Dakwah building,'€ KPK prosecutor Riyono read aloud from the indictment.

The SKRT project was frozen in 2004, but once Kaban took the helm, the project was reinstated in 2007 after receiving the go-ahead from House of Representatives Commission IV overseeing plantations.

According to the indictment, on Aug. 6, 2007, Kaban texted Anggoro: '€œPlease come to my official residence now and if you can please bring the $15,000.'€ Anggoro visited Kaban'€™s house the following day and gave him the money. '€œTen days later, Kaban again texted the defendant: '€˜This is an emergency, can you send [me] $10,000? Just like the other day, bring it to my house'€™,'€ the prosecution said.

It was also alleged that Anggoro gave $20,000 to the ministry'€™s secretary-general, Boen Mochtar, and $10,000 to the ministry'€™s planning division head, Wandojo Siswanto. It is unclear whether the money was handed over based on Kaban'€™s instructions or not.

Prosecutors added that on Feb. 13, 2008, Anggoro instructed his driver, Isdriatmoko, to deliver $20,000 to Kaban via the latter'€™s driver, Muhammad Yusuf. Then, on Feb. 25, 2008, Kaban again asked Anggoro to provide him with traveler'€™s checks worth Rp 50 million. '€œThe traveler'€™s checks were given to Kaban at the Forestry Ministry.'€

The graft case has already resulted in the conviction of a number of politicians, including former House Commission IV chairman Yusuf Erwin Faisal, who was sentenced to 4.5 years in 2009; former Golkar Party lawmaker Azwar Chesputra; former PBB lawmaker Hilman Indra; and former Golkar legislator Fahri Andi Leluasa, who was sent down for four years in 2010.

The indictment stated that Anggoro had paid bribes, of an unspecified amount, to Yusuf for persuading Commission IV members to approve the ministry'€™s request to relaunch the SKRT project in August 2007.

'€œAfter accepting the money, Yusuf then distributed it to a number of Commission IV members: Rp 50 million to Suswono, now the agriculture minister; Rp 50 million to Mukhtarudin, and Rp 50 million to Nurhadi Musawir,'€ prosecutors added.

In March 2008, Anggoro once again allegedly paid Yusuf money, who passed it on to several Commission IV colleagues: $30,000 to Fahri; S$5,000 to Azwar; S$20,000 to Hilman; S$30,000 to Mukhtarudin; and Rp 20 million to Sujud Sirajuddin.

Kaban and Yusuf were slapped with travel bans in February this year, a move by the KPK that many predicted would see the pair named suspects in the case.

Kaban did not return The Jakarta Post'€™s calls on Wednesday night for his comments.

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