Markus Junianto Sihaloho – The Corruption Eradication Commission on Monday said that it had preliminary evidence that senior Golkar Party politician Priyo Budi Santoso was involved in the Koran procurement scandal.
"Investigators have obtained preliminary evidence, some of which had been previously reported in the media," Busyro said during a journalist workshop on anti-corruption in Sukabumi, West Java on Saturday.
Priyo is alleged to have received 1 percent from the Religious Affairs Ministry's computer laboratory procurement budget and 3.5 percent from its Koran procurement budget in 2011.
Prosecutors have previously demanded suspended lawmaker Zulkarnaen Djabar be sentenced to 12 years in prison and pay a Rp 500 million ($51,000) fine for his alleged involvement in the Ministry of Religious Affairs' Koran procurement budget.
Zulkarnaen, who served on House Commission VIII, which oversees religious affairs, was in July 2012 named a suspect for alleged bid-rigging in a project to procure Korans for the Religious Affairs Ministry, among other projects. He appointed Fahd El Fouz as a broker between him and the ministry.
Assisted by his son and Fahd, Zulkarnaen asked Religious Affairs Ministry officials to award Batu Karya Mas the tender in the procurement of a computer laboratory in 2011. They asked for 15 percent of the Rp 31.2 billion contract in order to guarantee the deal.
He used the same strategy to obtain bribes in two Koran procurement projects by awarding Adhi Aksara Abadi and Sinergi Pustaka Indonesia the tender.
Chairman of Golkar Party central executive board (DPP) Hajriyanto Thohari said the party was yet to receive a formal summons for Priyo's questioning, and the Corruption Eradication Commission's (KPK) statement would be taken lightly for now.
"It's just a statement right now, we are currently waiting for an official letter for questioning. At this stage we have yet to receive a letter or a phone call from the KPK," Hajriyanto said.
Hajriyanto said Golkar would respect the legal process but as the news was not yet conveyed formally to Golkar by the KPK, the party's politicians would not yet be treating it seriously.
Hajriyanto said that politically, any corruption case would be the responsibility of the individual involved and would bare no connection to the party itself as the party had not instructed its cadres to raise funds.
"Golkar Party operates transparently and will allow KPK to investigate cadres who are implicated in corruption. It has never tried to obstruct any investigation process, let alone try to lobby in a bid to prevent the cadres from being legally processed," said Hajriyanto.
KPK deputy chairman Busyro Muqoddas said there was definite evidence linking Priyo's to the case.
Busyro said that KPK was still in the process of validating the evidence. "We have a standard procedure to follow throughout the process. This will be seen to its conclusion," he said.