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Dirty money funds SBY's golfing: Official
A new twist has emerged in the trial of the former secretary-general of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Waryono Karno with an accusation that graft money was partly used to finance the leisure activities of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
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new twist has emerged in the trial of the former secretary-general of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry Waryono Karno with an accusation that graft money was partly used to finance the leisure activities of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
In early May, the trial of Waryono, who collected funds for Yudhoyono's right-hand-man Jero Wacik, revealed that the money, which was collected from rigging a series of procurement projects at the ministry, also ended up in the hands of individuals affiliated with Yudhoyono, who served as the country's president for a decade between 2004 and 2014.
During a session on Monday at the Jakarta Corruption Court, evidence revealed that Yudhoyono, the current chairman of the Democratic Party where Jero is also a senior member, was one of benefactors of the ill-gotten money.
Monday's session looked further into the so-called 'regular entertainment' funds ' ranging from Rp 30 million (US$2,272) to Rp 200 million, which was set aside from the Rp 11 billion in dirty money collected from the ministry between 2010 and 2011 ' by grilling Sri Utami, an energy ministry official tasked by Waryono to distribute the dirty money to a number of parties.
Sri made an incriminating testimony against Yudhoyono after presiding judge Artha Theresia confronted her with a Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) document recording her testimony during the investigation stage in which she told KPK investigators that Jero used some of the money to pay for a regular golfing game for Jero and Yudhoyono in Jakarta when the two were active state officials.
Jero was forced to give up his ministerial post after the KPK declared him a graft suspect in a separate graft case in September 2014, while Yudhoyono wrapped up his decade-long presidential leadership in October 2014.
'The entertainment money was used to pay for a golfing game together with Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono [and Jero] every Thursday morning at 5 a.m. at the Halim Golf course and the money was delivered by Dwi Hartono [another official from the ministry] to the adjutant of the minister [Jero] at the golf course, is that correct?' Theresia asked Sri.
'Yes, it is correct,' Sri responded.
Monday's session did not reveal the amount of money that Jero had used to pay for the golfing excursion with the former president.
Although the testimony was recorded in the KPK's investigation documents, the antigraft body has so far failed to summon Yudhoyono for clarification during the investigation into Waryono's graft case. The KPK only grilled Jero in the case last year.
Separately, acting KPK deputy chairman Johan Budi said he had yet to receive official information from KPK prosecutors regarding Sri's Monday court testimony.
'I have to check the information first,' Johan said.
Meanwhile, Yudhoyono's lawyer Palmer Situmorang described the court evidence as 'rumors' despite the fact that it was revealed by a witness who was under oath and had been written in the KPK's investigation documents.
'It is not true that Pak Yudhoyono plays golf every Thursday and that he used other people's money to pay for the sport. It is a slanderous claim because ministers are not tasked to pay for presidential accommodation,' Palmer told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.
This is not the first time allegations have been directed at Yudhoyono and members of his inner circle for possible wrongdoing.
During Waryono's indictment hearing on May 7, KPK prosecutors revealed that the ministry had paid Rp 185 million on two separate occasions to Yudhoyono's presidential adviser on political communications, Daniel Sparringa.
Following up on the lead, the KPK grilled Daniel for clarification in relation to the allegations on June 25, 2014, at which time he maintained his innocence. Daniel has denied any wrongdoing in the case and said that he was ready to testify in court to defend his innocence.
The indictment document also exposed that the ministry spent Rp 25 million to fund Yudhoyono's Presidential Security Detail (Paspampres) activities and as much as Rp 5 million was given to Ms. Silva, an official at the State Secretariat for a holiday bonus also known as THR.
