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Democratic Party lawmaker embroiled in new graft case
Putu Sudiartana - JPHouse of Representatives Commission III overseeing legal affairs member Putu Sudiartana spared a moment to take a picture with Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Agus Rahardjo during a Ramadhan iftar dinner with Commission III members at the KPK headquarters on Monday
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Putu Sudiartana - JP
House of Representatives Commission III overseeing legal affairs member Putu Sudiartana spared a moment to take a picture with Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Agus Rahardjo during a Ramadhan iftar dinner with Commission III members at the KPK headquarters on Monday.
The event was aimed at strengthening ties between Commission III members, who including Putu picked Agus as the KPK chairman in December, with the KPK, a state agency under its supervision. But just two days later, Agus signed an investigation warrant to name Putu a suspect after the Democratic Party politician was arrested on allegations of accepting bribes from a businessman in Jakarta on Tuesday.
The event shocked the House, as Commission III members claimed that Monday’s dinner attendees, including Putu, enjoyed themselves, speaking with KPK leaders during the invitation-only event and that there were no signs that Putu was connected to a graft case on the day of the event.
Putu’s arrest marks the first time the Democratic Party, the ruling party during president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s tenure, between 2004 and 2014, has seen a House lawmaker netted in a KPK sting
operation.
Putu’s case is likely to result in the netting of more suspects, likely from the House, as the KPK hinted that it was looking into whether the S$40,000 and Rp 500 million in bribes Putu allegedly accepted to assist a businessman attain road construction projects worth Rp 300 billion in West Sumatra were to go to his party.
“We are not supposed to disclose the direction of our investigation. Just wait and see,” KPK commissioner La Ode Syarif said during a press conference at KPK headquarters on Wednesday.
Putu, along with his secretary Novianti, as well as West Sumatra businessman Yoga Askan, West Sumatra Public Housing Agency head Suprapto and an aid to Suprapto, were locked up at the KPK detention center after being named suspects on Wednesday night.
On Tuesday night, the KPK arrested Novianti after tracing her bank accounts, which allegedly received Rp 500 million from Suprapto.
The KPK moved to arrest Putu on the same night after Novianti reportedly acknowledged that the money was intended to be given to Putu, from whose House the KPK also seized S$40,000 allegedly related to the construction of 12 roadways in West Sumatra.
At the height of its power, between 2012 and 2014, the Democratic Party fell from grace after the KPK imprisoned several of its politicians, including then chairman Anas Urbaningrum, treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin, party cofounder Sutan Bhatoegana and Angelina Sondakh.
Despite the Party having claimed that it would not protect its members implicated in graft cases, Yudhoyono’s party refused to dismiss Putu from the party and from the House on Wednesday.
Instead, the party challenged the KPK, asking it elaborate and show stronger evidence to prove Putu’s involvement.
The party’s deputy secretary-general, Rachlan Nasidik, said that the KPK had not explicitly elaborated on the alleged transaction.
“It’s the weakest operation by the KPK ever, so irregular. The KPK just gave normative statements that it would dig deeper and continue the investigation and so on. No solid evidence to name Putu a suspect,” Rachlan said.
Putu is the sixth House member for the period 2014-2019 that has been arrested by the KPK.
