Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairman Haryono Umar said Wednesday that the travel ban did not mean that Miranda would be named a suspect soon, but that the KPK would follow the investigation before deciding.

Miranda is a witness in a vote-buying case in which dozens of legislators from 2004 are suspected
of receiving bribes to elect Miranda as deputy senior governor of Bank Indonesia.

“The travel restriction is intended to ensure Miranda’s presence if the KPK summons her,” Haryono told The Jakarta Post.

KPK deputy chairman Bibit Samad Riyanto said Tuesday at a press conference that the decision to slap the travel ban on Miranda, who he said was a key witness, was due to her high mobility. “She travels abroad frequently,” Bibit said.

Miranda said Wednesday she knew that she could not travel abroad until Oct. 25 next year due to the restrictions, but said she was not aware of plans to name her a suspect. “I’m just a witness,” she told the Post via telephone.

Earlier this year, the KPK lost a key witness in the case, businesswoman Nunun Nurbaeti. Through her lawyer, Nunun presented “medical records” stating that she suffered from “severe forgetfulness” and had to undergo treatment in Singapore.

The KPK sent a team to search for her in Singapore in May, but to no avail.

Nunun’s lawyer and her husband, retired police general and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) legislator, Adang Daradjatun, maintained that Nunun was still sick in Singapore.

Testimony and court hearings alleged that Nunun distributed 480 travelers checks worth Rp 50 million each to 41 legislators from the commission responsible for selecting key central bank officials.

The KPK said Nunun was the “cashier”, not the one who supplied all the checks.

It is widely believed that Nunun has a list of businesspeople who supplied the money because of their interest in placing their “representative” in the central bank.

Last month, following questioning by the KPK, Miranda confirmed that she knew Nunun as a “social friend”.

She said she once met Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legislator Panda Nababan at the Dharmawangsa Hotel in Jakarta prior to presenting her ideas for the central bank, but she denied allegations that money, gifts or any form of bribes was discussed at the meeting.

On June 8, 2004, 54 legislators voted on the central bank post. Miranda got 41 votes, Budi Rochadi 12 votes and Hartadi A. Sarwono one vote.

The case first emerged when PDI-P legislator Agus Condro Prayitno confessed to receiving 10 traveler’s checks to vote for Miranda in July 2008. His confession implicated 26 other former members of the commission: 10 from the Golkar Party, 14 from the PDI-P and two from the United Development Party (PPP). Another four legislators — Hamka Yandhu from Golkar, Dudhie Makmum Murod from the PDI-P, Endin A.J. Soefihara from the PPP and Udju Djuhaeri from the police/military wing — have been convicted and sentenced to between 1.5 years and 2 years in prison.

The immigration office has also slapped travel restrictions on all 26 suspects. One of them, Jeffrey Tongas Lumban, however died of a heart attack last week.

The KPK said they were ready to arrest the remaining 25 suspects. “We’ll roll when the investigators are ready,” Bibit said Tuesday.

After the KPK named 14 PDI-P members suspects, PDI-P politicians, including Trimedya Panjaitan and PDI-P deputy secretary-general Ganjar Pranowo urged the KPK to not only prosecute recipients of the checks, but also the bribers. (ipa)

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