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Graft allegations engulf Agus-Sylviana campaign
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Sylviana Murni (right), running mate of Jakarta gubernatorial candidate Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono (left), during the ballot number draw at JIEXPO in Kemayoran, Jakarta, on Oct. 25, 2016. (Antara Photo/Akbar Nugroho Gumay)
T
he National Police are set to question Jakarta deputy governor hopeful Sylviana Murni on Friday as a witness in a graft case, the latest in a string of crime investigations implicating the candidate who, alongside Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono, has become the frontrunner in the race.
The questioning would be the second for Sylviana, who was recently grilled over irregularities in a mosque construction project that was commenced when she was serving as Central Jakarta mayor.
Just three weeks ahead of the gubernatorial election, the probes are increasing pressure on the pair in a competition that has seen the popularity of previous frontrunner and incumbent Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama sink after his prosecution in a blasphemy case.
National Police spokesperson Insp. Gen. Boy Rafli Amar said the new graft allegations were related to the allocation of Jakarta Administration social assistance funds to the Jakarta Scout Movement in fiscal year 2014-2015.
Sylviana, who headed the Jakarta Scout Movement during that period, is expected to provide information on the graft investigation. At the time she also served as the assistant to the governor on tourism and culture.
Boy refused to divulge any further details of the case, saying that revealing them to the public may disrupt the investigation.
In the summons letter, which was leaked to the public, Sylviana was told to bring documents relevant to the questioning.
“We have asked her to show up [Friday]. We are in the investigation phase, and we can’t reveal any more details,” Boy told reporters at the National Police headquarters.
Sylviana said she was ready to be questioned, adding that she was a “law-abiding citizen and ready to follow the procedures”.
It is the third criminal case associated with Sylviana since she decided to run as deputy candidate alongside governor candidate Agus, the first son of former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
On Dec. 30, Jakarta Police questioned Sylviana’s husband, Gde Sardjana, as a witness in a treason case. Police found indications that Gde had transferred money to Jamhar, who has been named a suspect for spreading hatred against the government ahead of a rally demanding the prosecution of Ahok.
Gde admitted to the transfer but denied it had anything to do with the rally.
Agus has spoken up to defend Sylviana, saying the allegations were aimed to attack their campaign that had left behind other candidates, according to surveys.
“The more people try to find our mistakes, the more support we will receive from the public,” Agus said. “We deplore the fact that there are parties accusing [Sylviana] of something that did not happen.”
The Agus-Sylviana campaign was first confronted with corruption allegations related to the construction of a mosque worth Rp 27 billion (US$2.03 million) in the Central Jakarta mayoralty office complex and inaugurated in 2011 by Sylviana, who held the mayor office at the time.
During the investigation, police investigators reportedly tore down walls of the mosque and found that some sections that should have been filled with cement were hollow.
In that case police questioned 20 people involved in the construction, including the current Jakarta administration secretary Saefullah, who was appointed to replace Sylviana as mayor. He admitted that the city had initially overspent Rp 108 billion on the project, but the administration was reimbursed in 2011.
