Markus Junianto Sihaloho – With a few words sent by BlackBerry Messenger in mid-July, Nuril Anwar ended his working relationship as the assistant to the country's highest-profile graft suspect.

The problem appears to have begun in April, when, according to Nuril, he was asked to cover up any links between his boss, the then-Democratic Party treasurer, and a suspected middleman arrested for a graft scandal at the State Ministry for Youth and Sports Affairs.

Nuril stood by Muhammad Nazaruddin as the biggest scandal to rock the ruling party unfolded over the next few months, but when his name was dragged into the allegations, he decided to sever his ties. "He lied to everyone," he said, "including to me."

In an interview with the Jakarta Globe, Nuril described his former boss as a family man and a caring father. But when it comes to businesses, he claimed the 31-year-old politician was an expert at using all means necessary to manipulate people in order to win government projects.

Securing government projects was one of Nazaruddin's main skills, Nuril said, adding that the politician once said money could fix any problem.

Many of Nazaruddin's former staff members and assistants are alleged to have benefited from his dealings. For example, Aan, a former driver, bought a Nissan X-Trail SUV for about Rp 300 million ($35,000), allegedly from his fees for delivering bribes. "I have valid information on that," Nuril claimed.

He also said Nazaruddin had assured him that he had no role in the Southeast Asian Games graft scandal, but that later turned out to be false. "He accepted the bribe money from DGI," Nuril said, referring to Duta Graha Indah, the company that won the contract to build the athletes' village for the Games in Palembang.

Falling out

Nuril said he first met Nazaruddin in 2007, when Nazaruddin was still a garment salesman who wanted to expand his business. After Nazaruddin became a lawmaker, he asked Nuril to join him as a member of his staff at the House or Representatives.

In his daily life as a lawmaker, Nazaruddin left home at about 9 a.m. and stopped by the office of his company, Anugerah Nusantara, in Mampang, South Jakarta, for at least an hour, Nuril said.

Then the politician would go to the House, where he would work until around 2 p.m. After that, Nuril said, he would visit hotels and restaurants across the capital to take care of other business.

Nuril said he remained loyal to the lawmaker until mid-July, when Nazaruddin said that Nuril had distributed bribe money to Democratic Party members to help Anas Urbaningrum win the party's chairmanship last year.

According to Nuril, Nazaruddin asked him to join Anas's camp together with Yulianis, the deputy finance director of Nazaruddin's company. As the campaign team's treasurer, Nazaruddin collected money from many donors during the party congress and all the funds were handed over to Yulianis, he said.

Nuril said he was then ordered by Nazaruddin to take the money from Yulianis to pay Anas's supporters between Rp 1 million and Rp 2 million, not the $15,000 as claimed by Nazaruddin in previous media statements. "But the money was not a bribe. It was just compensation for communication and transportation fees for the supporters, because the organizing committee only paid for the meals and the hotel," Nuril said.

"Other campaign teams gave their supporters this kind of money," he said, referring to the other candidates for chairman, Andi Mallarangeng and Marzuki Alie.

Menacing figure

When in public, Nazaruddin was well-spoken and polite. But Nuril says he had a short temper and could be irrational. "He likes to threaten people, especially when he is in trouble," he said.

Nuril said Nazaruddin had been aware he was under investigation since last year. Many of his staff members also knew and tried to resign, but backed down after being threatened by Nazaruddin.

Some high-profile figures were also threatened by Nazaruddin, Nuril said, including Anas, House Commission III chairman Benny K. Harman and Dahlan Iskan, president director of state utility Perusahaan Listrik Negara. "He told Dahlan Iskan he would reveal corruption going on at PLN after his project with the company encountered problems," he said.

But the truth was that Nazaruddin had no evidence about graft at PLN, Nuril said. "He often threatened to kill people, but it was only bluffing. That's what he did every day, especially when he was under pressure."

One journalist, who declined to be identified, said he had been warned by Nazaruddin never to mention his name in relation to the SEA Games case. "He told me he was a senior official of the biggest party in the country and that I must be afraid of him," he said.

"But it was funny, because in the end, after he fled to Singapore, he contacted me again to help him corner other Democratic Party politicians."