The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named Democratic Party politician Muhammad Nazaruddin a suspect over allegations of accepting bribes involving a Southeast Asian Games construction project in Palembang, South Sumatra.

"We accused Nazaruddin of accepting bribes, which has violated the 2010 Corruption Law," KPK deputy chair Bibit Samad Rianto said on Thursday during a press conference. He declined to elaborate on the politician's role in the case.

During a series of scandals involving elites associated with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's political party, Nazaruddin has become the focal point of accusations over his alleged involvement in multiple graft cases implicating three ministries and the Constitutional Court.

Nazaruddin left for Singapore hours before the KPK slapped a travel ban on him to allow the investigation to take its course. Nazaruddin has ignored at least three KPK subpoenas in the case.

Bibit said the KPK would apply a forced summons to apprehend Nazaruddin in the absence of an extradition treaty between Indonesia and Singapore. He also said Indonesia is considering issuing a red notice.

Nazaruddin allegedly demanded 13 percent of the project's Rp 191 billion (US$22 million) cost for arranging a victorious tender for construction company PT Duta Graha Indah in the development of an athletes' dormitory for the SEA Games, which will take place in November.

The series of accusations have prompted Nazaruddin to spread text messages to the mass media, claiming his innocence and accusing party colleagues Angelina Sondakh and Mirwan Amir as more responsible for improprieties involving the case.

In text messages made available to the media on Thursday, Nazaruddin accused party chairman Anas Urbaningrum of accepting bribes related to the SEA Games project.

He said that Rp 9 billion from the project money was about to be transferred to the ruling Democratic Party through several lawmakers. "The allocation for the party was not transferred to me, but directly to Democratic Party chair Anas," he said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com. Nazaruddin also said a careful political conspiracy was behind the case.

A political renegade from the United Development Party (PPP), Nazaruddin earned a strategic position as the party's treasurer from Anas, who reportedly helped Anas secure the party's leadership last year. Nazaruddin, who is also known as a businessman, has also reportedly made a monthly contribution of Rp 1 billion to the party.

"For the time being, Nazaruddin won't return to Jakarta. We were afraid that once he got there, the KPK would directly detain him and political maneuvering would silence him right away. We needed protection from such political moves," Nazaruddin's lawyer, OC Kaligis, said.

Democratic Party delegate Ruhut Sitompul said his party could not guarantee his return, but vowed to persuade him to return home. "Of course, we will help the KPK by persuading him [Nazaruddin] to return to Jakarta soon," he said.

House of Representatives Speaker Marzuki Alie said Nazaruddin would not be dismissed from the House until he was named as a defendant.