Ina Parlina, Jakarta – Lawyers for bribery defendant Nunun Nurbaeti presented before the Jakarta Corruption Court three staff members who worked for Nunun as defense witnesses to prove the suspect Miranda Goeltom's close acquaintance with their client.

The witnesses are two staff members who work at Nunun's private residence in Cipete, South Jakarta, namely driver Samid Bahruddin and Nunun's housekeeper Lini Supardi, and one catering-service owner, Rietje Slamet.

The three testified that they saw Miranda come to Nunun's house on several occasions before the central bank's vote-buying case occurred in 2004. "I saw Miranda at the house twice during social gatherings held by Ibu Nunun," Lini said.

Rietje confirmed Lini's testimony, saying that Nunun and Miranda seemed to know each other well. "Yes, they were close friends at that time," said Rietje who claimed that Nunun often used her catering service at the time.

Nunun had allegedly acted as a go-between in the bribery scheme by delivering traveler's checks worth Rp 20.85 billion (US$2.27 million) to dozens of former lawmakers to swing their votes for Miranda in the 2004 Bank Indonesia senior deputy governor election. Miranda is now a suspect.

The Rp 20.85 billion checks are part of Rp 24 billion in the form of Bank Internasional Indonesia traveler's checks purchased by small palm oil company, PT First Mujur Plantation and Industry, to pay for small plantations owned by local farmers in North Sumatra.

Previous court proceedings revealed that First Mujur used Bank Artha Graha's money to purchase the checks.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), which began its investigations into the case in early 2009, has yet to uncover how the same checks ended up in lawmakers' pockets.

Previously, First Mujur officials had testified before the court that they did not understand how or why the checks were used in the bribery case.