Rabby Pramudatama, Jakarta – The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has forged ahead in its investigation of the Koran procurement case at the Religious Affairs Ministry, by requesting travel bans for former high-ranking officials at the ministry.
A source at the KPK disclosed on Sunday that new travel bans had been issued against two officials at the ministry, former director of Sharia guidance at the directorate general for Islamic guidance, Ahmad Jauhari, and the general secretary of the directorate, Abdul Karim.
"Ahmad Jauhari and Abdul Karim have been prohibited from leaving the country. The letter was signed on Jan. 16. I am not sure whether the immigration office has received the letter," the source said over the weekend.
KPK spokesperson Johan Budi refused to confirm the report of the new travel ban. Maryoto Sumadi, a spokesperson for the Immigration Directorate General at the Law and Human Rights Ministry, also said he could not confirm the report.
The KPK has been very careful about disclosing information on travel bans for fear that suspects may flee the country on hearing the news.
Earlier this month, the KPK named Jauhari as a new suspect in the scandal, which took place in 2011 and 2012. The antigraft body has said that there is enough evidence to bring charges against Jauhari.
"He was named a suspect in relation to his position as the official in charge of the project at the ministry's Islamic guidance directorate general," acting KPK spokesperson Priharsa Nugraha told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.
Jauhari could be charged with Article 2 on self enrichment or Article 3 on abuse of authority of the 2001 Corruption Law. If found guilty he could receive a a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Jauhari was suspected of abusing his authority in his position at the directorate general in order to enrich himself, a crime which caused the state to suffer losses, Priharsa said.
According to the KPK's early estimate, the Koran procurement generated Rp 14 billion (US$1.5 million) in losses to the state. The total value of the procurement project was Rp 20 billion in 2011 and Rp 55 billion in 2012.
So far the KPK has named three suspects: Jauhari; Zulkarnaen Djabar, a lawmaker on the House of Representatives Commission VIII overseeing religious affairs and businessman Dendy Prasetya, who is Zulkarnaen's son.
Zulkarnaen allegedly rigged the budgeting for the project in the House so that Dendy, who ran a printing press, could win the tender. Both suspects are leading members of the Golkar Party-affiliated organization MKGR, one of Golkar's three core organizations.
Zulkarnaen is currently detained by the KPK while Dendy remains free while he gets medical treatment for a leg injury following a traffic accident.
Last week the KPK wrapped up its investigation into the two suspects and submitted their dossiers to the court. KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto said that the investigation into the Koran procurement graft remained on track.
"I want to say that our corruption eradication efforts have not stopped. I received confirmation from investigators that we have completed the dossier on suspects Zulkarnain Djabar and Dendy Prasetya," he said.