Your word against mine: Former youth and sports minister and graft defendant Andi Mallarangeng (right) challenges the testimony of former Democratic Party treasurer and graft convict Muhammad Nazaruddin (left), at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Wednesday
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Graft convict and former Democratic Party member Muhammad Nazaruddin revealed on Wednesday that former youth and sports minister Andi Mallarangeng had accepted a Rp 5 billion (US$423,513) bribe taken from the Rp 19 billion that PT Anugerah Nusantara spent to win the Rp 2.5 trillion Hambalang sports complex project tender.
Speaking as a witness at the Jakarta Corruption Court for Andi, who has been charged with corruption in the case, Nazaruddin said that Mindo Rosalina Manulang, the marketing director of the company, had also wired the rest of the money to a number of House of Representatives members.
'To the minister [Andi] Rp 5 billion, [House budgetary commission member from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P)] Olly Dondokambey Rp 4 billion, Angelina Sondakh Rp 2 billion and Mirwan Amir Rp 2 billion,' Nazaruddin told the court on Wednesday.
Nazaruddin's claim discredited Andi's claims, who has repeatedly denied accepting dirty money from the Hambalang project, which resulted in Rp 463.66 billion in state losses according to the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).
Nazaruddin, who controlled Anugerah Nusantara, also confirmed that Andi's brother Andi 'Choel' Zulkarnaen Mallarangeng had accepted $500,000 in relation to the project.
Nazaruddin further said that money from Anugerah Nusantara went to other members of the House including former chairman of House Commission X overseeing sports Mahyuddin MS of the Golkar Party; Rully Chairul Azwar and Kahar Muzakir of Golkar; as well as Wayan Koster and Heri Akhmadi of the PDI-P. Nazaruddin did not give disclose the amounts.
The Hambalang graft case has also implicated former Democrats chairman Anas Urbaningrum, whom Nazaruddin accused of being the mastermind in the rigging of the project due to his immense power as head of the ruling party's faction at the House.
He said Anas had the authority to control a number of state projects worth trillions of rupiah.
Anas, who had earlier testified as a witness for Andi, denied all Nazaruddin's accusations.
In the Hambalang graft case, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) also accused Anas of accepting Rp 2.2 billion from the project to fund his campaign during the Democratic Party congress in 2010, resulting in his election as chairman.
The antigraft body also charged Anas in a separate money laundering case after uncovering that he had amassed billions of rupiah from state projects during his tenure as a House member and commissioner with the General Elections Commission (KPU) in 2005.
It is claimed Anas accepted two vehicles ' a Toyota Harrier valued at Rp 670 million and a Toyota Vellfire worth Rp 735 million ' and amassed a fortune totalling Rp 116.5 billion and $5.26 million from his underhand practices.
The KPK accuses Anas and Nazaruddin of establishing PT Permai Grup to harbor slush funds collected from state projects involving the Youth and Sports Ministry, including the construction of the Hambalang sports complex.
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