Rabby Pramudatama and Margareth S. Aritonang, Jakarta – The trial of Democratic Party lawmaker Angelina Sondakh for bribery may shed light on new cases of graft as witness Mindo Rosalina Manulang testified that more than 10 companies or organizations maneuvered through the halls of power to gain access to lucrative government projects.
"Over 10 parties at the House [of Representatives] worked to get projects," Rosalina, or Rosa as she is commonly known, said at Angelina's trial at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Thursday.
Rosa, who worked for the Permai Group – a company that Angelina allegedly assisted to win projects – said everyone had "contact persons" at the House to secure the projects.
Rosa, however, declined to reveal who her contacts were. "I can't answer [that question] because it doesn't link to the university projects [which implicate Angelina Sondakh]," she said.
Prosecutors have accused Angelina of taking Rp 33.37 billion (US$3.5 million) in kickbacks, comprising Rp 12.85 billion related to budget allocations for the Youth and Sports Ministry and US$2.35 million related to budget allocations for the Education and Culture Ministry.
The bribes allegedly came from Permai Group, which was owned by Muhammad Nazaruddin, the former Democratic Party treasurer who was later convicted of graft. Rosa worked as a marketing director at the company.
In her testimony, Rosa, who is now serving a two-and-a-half-year prison term, said Angelina had tried to silence her by visiting her detention cell at Pondok Bambu Penitentiary in East Jakarta not long after the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested her last year.
"I know nothing about the case. Please help me mbak. After you [Rosa] get out [of jail] we should go for honest jobs together," Rosa said, quoting Angelina during the prison visit.
In today's court session, Angelina, a former beauty queen, disputed Rosa's version of the story. "It is true that I visited the witness at the penitentiary, but it is not true that I asked her not to mention my name in her case," Angelina said.
In addition to revealing Angelina's alleged illicit activities, Rosa has implicated many high-profile individuals in other graft cases related to Nazaruddin's businesses. She has also testified before the court that party chairman Anas Urbaningrum played a major role in the management of the Permai Group.
She has been under the joint protection of the Witness and Victim Protection Agency (LPSK) and the KPK since January, when she received death threats in her cell.
During Thursday's hearing, Rosa, who showed up at the court wearing a bulletproof vest, testified that Angelina had been hiding the roles of other lawmakers and fellow Democratic Party politicians.
"I just came from Anas' [Democratic Party chairman] home. I don't want to be prosecuted alone in this case. I could create a bigger 'tsunami' than what Nazaruddin did," Rosa said, quoting a conversation she had with Angelina.
Nazaruddin has on many occasions accused other House politicians of being involved in graft cases.
KPK spokesperson Johan Budi said the commission questioned Rosa's testimony. "I don't understand why she feels insecure. I think she has forgotten her own promises to cooperate with the LPSK and the KPK," he told The Jakarta Post on Thursday.
Separately, Democratic Party patron Hayono Isman responded lightly to the possibility that Angelina might drag more House lawmakers into the case. "I fully support the KPK to follow up the information, if it is true [that Angelina would name more lawmakers]," he said.
He added that Angelina should give solid evidence to the KPK before naming anyone or else it would be slander or defamation.