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bribery scandal is ravaging the House Commission V overseeing infrastructure and transportation as the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) continues to call up more of the commission'€™s members for questioning.

The KPK questioned Lazarus on Tuesday in relation to a series of kickbacks allegedly given by a businessman to secure infrastructure projects in Maluku.

The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician is the seventh lawmaker from the commission that the agency has questioned following the arrest of Damayanti Wisnu Putranti, another PDI-P lawmaker and member of the commission, who was caught red-handed accepting S$99,000 from PT Windhu Tunggal Utama (PT WTU) president director Abdul Khoir.

Although Damayanti is so far the only legislator suspected in the case, Abdul is accused of having distributed Rp 41 billion in bribes to 24 commission members.

KPK deputy chairman Laode Muhammad Syarif said KPK investigators were closely examining evidence garnered from witnesses. After analyzing the evidence, the KPK would then move to name other suspects in the case.

'€œ[The legislators'€™] involvement is still being examined. It is probably tomorrow [that we will announce new suspects in the case],'€ the KPK commissioner said without revealing the to soon-to-be-named suspects.

Before becoming ensnared in the case, Damayanti also allegedly received Rp 1 billion during the 2014 legislative elections and Rp 3.2 billion in November from Abdul. It is also alleged that Damayanti did not enjoy the money alone.

KPK spokesman Priharsa Nugraha refused to confirm or deny whether the KPK investigation had found evidence confirming that Lazarus was one of the recipients of Abdul'€™s bribes.

But he revealed that Budi Supriyanto of the Golkar party, a Commission V member earlier questioned as a witness, had returned US$305,000 from Abdul during the investigation.

The KPK slapped a travel ban on Budi and raided his office at the House complex last month. It is alleged that Abdul funneled a total of $404,000 to Budi.

'€œAlthough the money was returned, the investigation will continue,'€ Priharsa said.

In addition to the PDI-P and the Golkar Party, the National Awakening Party (PKB) has so far seen four of its legislators from Commission V questioned in the case.

The four legislators are Fathan, Alamuddin Dimyati Rois, Mohammad Toha and Musa Zainuddin.

Abdul reportedly channeled a total of Rp 8 billion to Musa and it remains unclear whether Musa shared the money with other PKB lawmakers at Commission V. (wnd)