KPK targets ministry in latest graft case

JAKARTA. The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has seized a number of documents in a bribery investigation involving the National Awakening Party (PKB)-led Disadvantaged Regions Ministry, KPK spokesman Johan Budi said on Sunday.

“During the search, we confiscated a number of documents, some of which are in the form of hard copies,” Johan said on Sunday.

Johan said that KPK investigators confiscated the documents from a number of the ministry’s offices on Jl. Abdul Muis and Jl. Veteran 1 in Central Jakarta and on Jl. Rasuna Said in South Jakarta.

Earlier, the KPK arrested Papua’s Biak Numfor Regent Yesaya Sombuk for reportedly accepting US$100,000 in bribes from a construction businessman identified as Teddi Renyut, who allegedly wanted to secure a sea embankment project that had been earmarked for the regency by the ministry.

One day after the arrest, the antigraft body named Yesaya and Teddi suspects and said it would look into more individuals implicated in the case.

After declaring the two suspects, KPK chairman Abraham Samad said it was possible that Minister Helmy Faisal Zani, a PKB politician, would be questioned but that his office would initially focus on Yesaya and Teddi.

Meanwhile, responding to the arrest, Yesaya’s lawyer Pieter Ell said his client had gone to Jakarta for a medical checkup.

“Before he was arrested, he wanted to have a medical checkup in Jakarta. We brought him some medication for his illness,” Pieter said at the KPK headquarters, not mentioning what illness his client had.

Asked whether his client went to Jakarta to conduct a “transaction” with Teddi, Pieter said he had yet to learn the details regarding the bribery case implicating Yesaya.

“I have not talked to him about the graft case. I will talk to him about it later after his next questioning session on Tuesday,” Pieter said.

The KPK last questioned Yesaya on Friday.

Contacted separately, Helmy said he did not know Yesaya and the KPK had not told him about the regent’s arrest.

“We respect the legal process and the KPK. We support the KPK’s move to eradicate corruption in the country. We have yet to get details about the ongoing investigation at the KPK,” Helmy earlier said.

In late 2012, The Indonesian Forum for Budget Transparency (FITRA) voiced suspicion that there had been irregularities in the disbursement of Rp 63 billion (US$5.33 million) in social aid funds at the Disadvantaged Regions Ministry.

FITRA said that the ministry had not been accountable in the disbursement of the funds as many allocations had been made without sufficient documentation.

“Based on past experience, the absence of crucial documents can be an indication of irregularities. So, I urge law enforcers to investigate,” FITRA researcher Uchok Sky Khadafi said.