TheJakartaPost
Please Update your browser
Your browser is out of date, and may not be compatible with our website. A list of the most popular web browsers can be found below.
Just click on the icons to get to the download page.
PKS to sue Democrat politician over political payment 'slander'
A Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) official says the Democratic Party's silence over the accusation means the "slander" also comes from the party.
Change text size
Gift Premium Articles
to Anyone
Share the best of The Jakarta Post with friends, family, or colleagues. As a subscriber, you can gift 3 to 5 articles each month that anyone can read—no subscription needed!
Democratic Party chairman Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (left) poses with the head of advisory council of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Salim Segaf Aljufri (center), the deputy head of the PKS advisory council, Hidayat Nur Wahid (second right), and PKS president Sohibul Iman (right) on July 30. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)
T
he Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) is angry at the Democratic Party and threatened to sue Democratic Party politician Andi Arief over his allegation of Rp 500 billion (US$34.6 million) in political payment for the PKS.
PKS executive board chairwoman Ledia Hanifa said the PKS was ready to sue the Democrat politician.
She said Andi’s accusation was highly serious, considering that political bribery accepted by a party during the presidential nomination process is a criminal act.
"The accusation from Andi Arief is cruel slander. It has legal consequences for the person concerned," she said on Thursday in a statement made available to The Jakarta Post.
Ledia said a top politician, particularly from a large party like the Democratic Party, must not commit slander openly in public, referring to Andi’s post on his Twitter account on Thursday morning.
“I see there has yet to be an official clarification from his party, thus we conclude this also represents the stance of Andi Arief’s party,” she said.
Andi called the presumptive presidential candidate and Gerindra Party chairman Prabowo Subianto a “cardboard general” on his Twitter account on Thursday morning.
He also accused the PKS and the National Mandate Party (PAN) of accepting Rp 500 billion from Jakarta Deputy Governor Sandiaga Uno to let Sandiaga become a vice presidential candidate for Prabowo in their coalition to contest in 2019 election. Both the PKS and PAN have denied the accusation. (sau)
