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.
House deputy speaker charged with bribery
Taufik Kurniawan (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Taufik Kurniawan has become the latest leader of the country’s legislative body to be implicated in a graft case, after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named him a suspect on Tuesday
Change Size
Taufik Kurniawan (JP/Wendra Ajistyatama)
House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Taufik Kurniawan has become the latest leader of the country’s legislative body to be implicated in a graft case, after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named him a suspect on Tuesday.
The KPK’s announcement ended days of speculations on Taufik’s legal status, which were triggered by the antigraft body’s decision to ask immigration authorities to impose a travel ban on the senior National Mandate Party (PAN) politician.
KPK deputy chairwoman Basaria Panjaitan said Taufik was involved in a graft case related to special allocation funds (DAK) for Kebumen regency, Central Java, in the revised 2016 state budget.
“TK is suspected of accepting bribes pertaining to the allocation of the funds in the adjustment of the 2016 state budget,” she said, referring to Taufik by his initials.
Taufik stands accused of accepting at least Rp 3.65 billion (US$239,764), part of the 5 percent “commitment fee” allegedly promised by Kebumen Regent Muhamad Yahya Fuad after the latter’s appointment in 2016.
Yahya has since been found guilty of corruption in relation to the case and was sentenced to four years’ imprisonment.
The regent allegedly tried to approach a number of lawmakers, including Taufik, whose electoral regions include Kebumen, as he was trying to get more funds allocated to the regency.
Taufik is also in charge of House Commission IX overseeing finance and banking. He also oversees the budget committee as the coordinator for economics and finance. The committee is tasked with discussing the state budget allocation with the government, including allocations for regions, among other things.
Kebumen regency eventually received around Rp 93.37 billion, which, was supposed to be used to build roads and bridges.
Taufik is the second House leader to have been accused of corruption during President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s administration, after former speaker and Golkar Party politician Setya Novanto, who was found guilty of accepting bribes in the e-ID project.
While saying the party would not tolerate any illicit practices committed by its members, PAN secretary-general Eddy Soeparno said PAN would consider Taufik innocent until proven guilty.
“We are ready to provide him any legal assistance should he ask for it, as he is still [a member of PAN],” he said, adding the party would respect the legal process.
He said PAN had yet to consider whether to relieve Taufik of his duties as the party’s deputy chairman. “We will talk about this after we know more about the case.”
Concerns have been raised over whether Taufik’s status as a graft suspect will affect PAN’s image, especially ahead of the 2019 general election, in which the party will fight for votes in order to make its way into the House.
Taufik is the third PAN politician to be named a graft suspect this year, after South Lampung Regent Zainudin Hasan and Jambi Governor Zumi Zola Zulkifli.
Zainudin, the younger brother of PAN chairman and People’s Consultative Council Speaker Zulkifli Hasan, was named a suspect in July in a graft case related to an infrastructure project in the regency.
PAN was a member of the ruling coalition but decided to defect shortly before the registration deadline by announcing its support for Prabowo Subianto.
