Ina Parlina, Jakarta – The arrest of graft fugitive Nunun Nurbaeti may lead to the prosecution of more politicians in the politically charged Bank Indonesia bribery case, including those from the Golkar Party and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), the nation's second- and third-largest parties.
Agus Condro Prayitno, a whistleblower in the case who has already served 15 months in prison, alleged that other lawmakers in House Commission IX at the time of the Bank Indonesia bribery case had accepted similar bribes.
"These [lawmakers] include PDI-P's Emir Moeis and Sukardjo Hardjosoewirjo, and more from other parties," Agus said, pointing at his former colleagues.
He urged the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to finish the case fairly by imprisoning all of them. "The KPK should be fair and brave in handling this case. Whoever they are, as long as they accepted the bribes, no matter what their alibis are, they must be tried," Agus told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
Nunun, known as the "cashier" who is suspected of distributing the checks to the lawmakers, was arrested and brought home from Thailand by the KPK late last week after having been on the run for more than a year.
Nunun left Indonesia for Singapore early last year, reportedly to search for medical treatment for her "amnesia". Her arrest was hailed as a gift to Indonesia, since it coincided with International Anti-Corruption Day on Friday.
However, there is also speculation surrounding the timing of her arrest, which came just days before the succession within the KPK leadership following the surprise election of Abraham Samad as the country's new antigraft czar.
Notably, Abraham was supported by Golkar, the PDI-P and several opposition parties that wanted the KPK to conduct a thorough investigation of the controversial Bank Century bailout, which observers said could be used as a pretext to impeach President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
Abraham has denied any backroom deals between him and the parties that supported him, but he also made it clear that he would continue to investigate possible corruption surrounding the controversial bailout.
However, the new investigation of the Bank Indonesia case could serve as a blow to Golkar and the PDI-P, which have both already seen several of their members sent to prison for their involvement in the case.
Agus, who is also a former PDI-P lawmaker, urged the new leaders of KPK who are due to take up office in mid-December "not to bring the case into the political battlefield".
The Bank Indonesia case centers around the 2004 election of Miranda S. Goeltom as the central bank's senior deputy governor. Nunun allegedly distributed Rp 24 billion in the form of 480 traveler's checks, each worth Rp 50 million, as bribes to more than 33 lawmakers and former lawmakers, in exchange for their votes for Miranda.
The case has brought a total of 33 former lawmakers – mostly from the PDI-P and the Golkar Party, as well as from the United Development Party (PPP) – to court.
The case emerged last year after Agus spilled the beans in 2009 by telling the KPK he had accepted a bribe. Later he submitted evidence to the KPK in the form of travelers' checks he had allegedly received as bribes.
A total of 52 lawmakers from different factions were members of House Commission IX overseeing finance for the 1999 to 2004 term.
Emerson Yuntho from the Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) said he agreed with Agus, and urged the KPK to avoid politicking.
"Regardless of any political pressures said to be haunting the KPK, it must finish its investigation of big cases that are close to politics, such as the Bank Century bailout case, Nazaruddin's case, which now implicates Angelina, as well as the National Mandate Party's Wa Ode Nurhayati case."