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KPK wants 7.5 years for Anas' confidant
Mahfud Suroso
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Mahfud Suroso - (Antara) (Antara)
Mahfud Suroso. (Antara)
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors at the Jakarta Corruption Court demanded on Wednesday a seven-and-half-year prison term for PT Dutasari Citalaras director Mahfud Suroso, a confidant of graft convict and former Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum, for his alleged role the in Hambalang project graft case.
The construction of the Hambalang sports complex in West Java, worth Rp 2.5 trillion, was one of several multitrillion rupiah projects rigged by Anas between 2009 and 2012 to fund his political ambitions of becoming the party's chairman in 2010. Anas also planned to use some of the money to finance his presidential bid in 2014.
Prosecutors also urged the panel of judges to instruct Mahfud to return to the state Rp 36.8 billion that he illegally got from the Hambalang project, or spend a further four years in prison.
Prosecutors said they had demanded Mahfud return Rp 36.8 billion because during the investigation he had returned Rp 7.8 billion, out of the Rp 44.7 billion he had reportedly embezzled from the Hambalang project, to KPK investigators, prosecutor Fitroh Rochyanti said at the court.
In his bid to get subcontract work in the Hambalang project from construction firm PT Adhi Karya, prosecutors said, Mahfud paid a Rp 3 billion bribe to the youth and sports minister's secretary, Wafid Muharam, who was convicted in a separate graft case.
Adhi Karya's move to get contracts for the Hambalang project was blocked by then Democratic treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin, who had paid Rp 10 billion to then youth and sports minister Andi Mallarangeng, and made moves so that the project went to his company, PT Permai Group.
'The defendant asked for help from Anas to eliminate Nazaruddin from the competition to get the project,' Fitroh said.
After securing the Hambalang project, Adhi Karya later subcontracted part of its work to Dutasari. 'Dutasari then inflated prices of items for the Hambalang subcontracting project,' Fitroh said.
For his services in eliminating Nazaruddin from the Hambalang tender, Anas was paid Rp 2.2 billion by Adhi Karya.
Anas was sentenced by the Jakarta Corruption Court to eight years in prison in September 2014 for accepting Rp 94 billion and $5.2 million during his tenure as a member of the House of Representatives from 2009 to 2010, including the Rp 2.2 billion from the Hambalang project. The Jakarta High Court reduced his prison term to seven years in February this year.
Prosecutors said that out of the Rp 44.7 billion Mahfud embezzled from the Hambalang project, he spent Rp 28 billion for personal purposes, while the rest of the money was spent to bribe a number of parties, including Anas and Wafid as well as House of Representatives lawmakers.
Mahfud has been charged under articles 2 and 3 of the 1999 Corruption Law, which carries a maximum 20 years' imprisonment.
The KPK, citing findings from a Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) audit, claimed massive irregularities plagued the Hambalang project and had caused Rp 463.66 billion in state losses.
Other people who have been sentenced in the case are Adhi Karya's former construction division director, Teuku Bagus Mokhamad Noor, who got four and a half years, the youth and sports ministry's former chief of financial and internal affairs, Deddy Kusdinar, to six years, and Andi to four years behind bars.
