T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said on Sunday that it had stepped up its probe into allegations of fraud in the East Java gubernatorial election.

The KPK said it had elevated the status of Golkar Party East Java branch head Zainuddin Amali to a potential suspect following the conviction of bribery for former Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar a fortnight ago.

The decision was made only days after the KPK locked up Palembang mayor Romi Herto and his wife Masyitoh for allegedly bribing Akil. The couple are the latest individuals to be named suspects in the case after Akil was sentenced to life in prison for amassing Rp 57 billion (US$4.9 million) in bribes from 10 regional heads, including Romi, to influence election dispute cases heard during his tenure at the court.

'€œ[Zainuddin] is a potential suspect in the case. The KPK needs at least two more pieces of evidence before he can be named a suspect, but it all depends on how the investigation develops,'€ KPK deputy chairman Busyro Muqoddas said on Sunday.

The Jakarta Corruption Court, in its verdict on Akil, confirmed that Zainuddin had promised Akil Rp 10 billion to reject an appeal by Khofifah Indar Parawansa, the losing candidate in the 2013 East Java gubernatorial election.

Zainuddin allegedly served as a middleman connecting Akil, who is also a former Golkar Party politician, and Golkar Party treasurer Setya Novanto and Golkar Party secretary-general Idrus Marham.

Akil'€™s trial had reveled a BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) conversation between Akil and Zainuddin regarding the scheme.

'€œYour secretary-general [Idrus] was just playing with me. I heard [Setya] Novanto and Nirwan [Bakrie] were willing to pay. But the secretary-general suggested that I only deserved [a] small [amount of money]. Did he think that I was only a lawmaker?'€ Akil said in the wiretapped conversation.

Businessman Nirwan Dermawan Bakrie is the younger brother of Golkar Party chairman Aburizal Bakrie, who is also a businessman and media mogul.

Zainuddin replied: '€œNoted. I will coordinate with the East Java team.'€

One day after communicating with Akil, Zainuddin sent him a text message: '€œIt'€™s positive [the bribe]. When can we meet?'€

Akil then replied '€œWhen do you have time? Just do it as soon as possible.'€

The two agreed to meet at Akil'€™s house to talk about the bribery scheme, but Akil was arrested on Oct. 2, prior to the meeting, in the act of accepting money bribes from the Gunung Mas regent.

Under the 2001 Corruption Law, any intention to bribe is considered an act of crime and one could legally be prosecuted should law enforcing institutions find enough evidence to confirm he intended to bribe a state official.

When testifying in Akil'€™s trial, Idrus acknowledged that Zainuddin had shown him the BBM conversation with Akil but he had not replied as he was confident the court would reject Khofifa'€™s appeal.

'€œAmali said to me '€˜I got SMS from Pak Akil. The situation is critical'€™. I then asked him how it was critical? Nothing was critical because we had a million votes more,'€ Idrus testified.