Jakarta – Indonesian Lawmakers have been forced to deny rumors reported by a number of media organizations that legislators have been paid a total of Rp 5 billion ($550,000) to undermine attempts to bolster the antimoney laundering agency and increase the power of the respected Corruption Eradication Commission.

People's Conscience Party (Hanura) legislator Syarifuddin Sudding, one of the formulators of the proposed amendment of the 2003 Money Laundering Law, described the reports, which he had seen on the running text of private broadcaster RCTI, as "liable."

"We did not receive anything from anyone," Syarifuddin said. "There are people who want to halt our efforts in working on the bill by spreading the rumors."

Hanura, the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the United Development Party (PPP) oppose the amendments to give unprecedented powers to the Financial Transaction Reports Analysis Center (PPATK) and for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to automatically receive PPATK reports on suspicious transactions.

The bill would allow the PPATK to provide limited legal immunity for its members, the right to conduct probes and the ability to inspect and freeze suspicious bank accounts.

Syarifuddin said Hanura opposed the amendments because they believed a strengthened PPATK could by used by those in power to strike their political enemies. "The PPATK should be independent if it wants more power," he said.

Didi Irawadi Syamsuddin, a lawmaker from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's Democratic Party, said he had also heard the claims but discounted them.

He said, however, that if the rumors were true the Democrats would be the first to report them to police. "I hope that it's not true; bribery would embarrass the House" of Representatives (DPR), he said.

The DPR is perceived to be one of Indonesia's most corrupt institutions, with recent investigations by the KPK exposing widespread graft for legislators to pass even the most basic legislation. Many past and sitting legislators, however, have avoided prosecution.

Legislators from the DPR are yet to pass a single piece of legislation since they were elected to office last year and the public is becoming increasingly angry at their indifference to the plight of average Indonesians.