A Golkar Party politician has returned Rp 700 million (US$47,138) in alleged bribe money related to the Riau-1 coal-fired steam power plant (PLTU) to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

“Yes, a Golkar politician handed over the money related to the Riau-1 PLTU graft case,” said KPK spokesperson Febri Diansyah on Friday, without specifying names. 

“We appreciate this cooperative action,” he said, as quoted by tempo.com.

Eni Saragih, one of the suspects in the Riau-1 PLTU graft case and a former House of Representative speaker from Golkar, said the money was related to the party's extraordinary national congress (munaslub) in December 2017. 

“It is from the munaslub committee. They will return it gradually,” she said after examination at the KPK building on Friday, as quoted by kompas.com.

“This is the evidence that shows there was Rp 2 billion used for the party’s congress,” she added.

So far, the KPK has named three suspects in the Riau-1 PLTU graft case consisting of two Golkar politicians — Eni and former social affairs minister Idrus Marham — and businessman Johannes Budisutrisno Kotjo. 

Eni allegedly accepted Rp 4.8 billion in bribe money from Johannes to expedite the signing of the project's contract. 

Eni, who served as the treasurer of munaslub at the time, has repeatedly spoken of channeling the bribe money to finance the party's congress. She said the money was related to a Golkar chairman. However, she declined to name the chairman.

Golkar chairman Airlangga Hartarto previously dismissed allegations about bribe money for the party's congress. (sau)