Ina Parlina, Jakarta – The first trial of bribery suspect Nunun Nurbaeti looks to implicate another politician as prosecutors mentioned the alleged involvement of Emir Moeis, an Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) legislator.
When the vote-buying case at the House of Representatives (DPR) took place in 2004, Emir was the chairman of the House's Commission IX, which handled the selection of Miranda S. Goeltom as a Bank Indonesia deputy senior governor.
Asked whether Emir would be the next target, prosecutor Mochamad Rum declined to elaborate. "Just wait and watch the trial's progress," he said.
According to the indictment, PDI-P legislator Dudhie Makmun Murod distributed the traveler's checks worth Rp 9.8 billion (US$1.08 million) to his colleagues at Commission IX after receiving them from Ari Malangjudo, an aide of Nunun.
"The checks were distributed to, among others, Agus Condro Prayitno, who accepted 10 checks worth Rp 500 million and Emir Moeis Rp 200 million," prosecutor Andi Suharlis said during the trial.
The Rp 9.8 billion checks were part of the Rp 20.85 billion in total, which were distributed by Nunun.
The case has sent all 33 former lawmakers at the House's Commission IX – mostly from the PDI-P, the Golkar Party and the United Development Party (PPP) – to jail, but not the benefactor who provided the money. Several lawmakers implicated in the case are apparently still also "off the hook".
The indictment said Nunun and Golkar lawmaker Hamka Yandhu – who was sentenced in 2010 – first discussed the fees for Commission IX members at Nunun's office a day before the commission held a fit and proper test for three BI senior deputy governor candidates. Ari later joined the meeting.
"I want you to help me to express gratitude to the House's members," Nunun said to Ari. She later told him Hamka would organize everything for him.
At that time, they had prepared four paper bags containing the checks. Each bag was marked with different colors of red, yellow, green and white to fit the colors of the political parties set to receive the checks.
During the meeting, Hamka told Ari that he and Nunun had arranged the delivery of the rewards. Nunun told Ari that he needed to meet the people who would collect each bag.
On June 8, 2004, the day when a fit and proper test was held, someone claiming to be from the PDI-P called Ari at around 12:15 p.m. and told him that he would like him to take something entrusted to him. The person told him to go to the Bebek Bali restaurant in Senayan, Central Jakarta, which is just around the corner from the House building.
Ari reported it to Nunun, who later ordered an office boy named Ngatiran to bring the four paper bags to Ari's office. Ari later came to the restaurant where he met Dudhie – who was sent to jail in 2010 – and there he handed over the bag with the red label.
In May 2010, in his defense statement, Dudhie told the Jakarta Corruption Court that all PDI-P politicians from Commission IX had accepted the checks worth Rp 9.8 billion to back Miranda, now a suspect, in her election. He mentioned Emir also accepted the bribe.
Dudhie also said it was Panda who ordered him to take the bag from Ari at the Bebek Bali restaurant and later to hand the funds over to PDI-P legislators from the commission.
In mid 2011, during trials of former PDI-P lawmakers in the case, Emir, a witness against 12 of his former colleagues, said the traveler's checks were distributed by Dudhie a day after they cast their votes.
"I did not know where the traveler's checks came from, but I assumed they were distributed to elect Miranda," Emir said before the court. He later returned the checks to Panda Nababan but later accepted them again after being told those were for party campaign activities.