SP/Novianti Setuningsih – In a graft case related to the purchase of traffic equipment, witnesses have testified on the flow of funds to defendant and former high-ranking police official Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo and National Police's Traffic Corps.
Sulistiyanto, former assistant to Traffic Corps treasurer Comr. Legimo, testified in court about instructions he received from Djoko to pick up money from National Police Cooperative (Primkoppol) treasurer Halijah.
"Legimo [told me] to go to Halijah's house to pick up some money because Djoko had ran out. I was told to hurry, so I used a motorcycle," said Sulistiyanto, who testified against Djoko at the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court on Friday.
Sulistiyanto said his former boss ordered him to pick up money from the treasurer of the other organization twice. "The first time it was a black plastic bag with between Rp 200 million and Rp 250 million [$20,000 and $25,000]," said Sulistiyanto.
The assistant also said that the boss sometimes had him cash co-op checks and that some of the cash was used by Djoko.
The Traffic Corps treasurer also said Djoko at times told him to borrow money from the co-op giving Rp 12 billion as the total. "Every time he needed money and I wasn't around [in the office], I would coordinate with [the cooperative] based on his instructions," said Legimo.
Co-op chairman Teddy Rusmawan has previously testified that Rp 21 billion in co-op funds went to Djoko. He also said some of the money borrowed by Djoko went to members of the House Budget Committee. That included Rp 4 billion that Teddy said he disbursed to then lawmaker Muhammad Nazaruddin who was demanding "his share" for the driving simulator procurement project at the heart of the scandal.
Teddy also said he gave money to House Commission III deputy chairman Aziz Syamsuddin and Commission III member Bambang Soesatyo.
"I was instructed by the defendant [Djoko] to hand over the money," said Teddy, explaining that it was given to third parties, not to Djoko directly.
"The time [that the money was handed over] in Plaza Senayan it was received by [aides of Aziz and Bambang]," said Teddy, noting details that day about the meeting, which had been moved downstairs to a cafe near the parking area from its original location in a restaurant on the same floor as the cinema.
Teddy said that the House Budget Committee received some Rp 4 billion in cash delivered in four boxes, claiming Djoko ordered him to hand over the money to committee coordinator Muhammad Nazaruddin.
"There were four boxes for [House Budget Committee] Banggar pooled with Nazaruddin. He said that Nazaruddin was the coordinator," said Teddy.
Aside from Nazaruddin, Teddy said that the meeting at the restaurant had also been attended by other lawmakers such as Aziz Syamsuddin, Bambang Soesatyo, Herman Herri, and Desmond Junaidi Mahesa.
In claiming that he borrowed money from the co-op on orders of Djoko, the Traffic Corps treasurer said that even he didn't know exactly what the Rp 12 billion was for but he still kept a record of it.
Djoko has denied telling Legimo to borrow Rp 12 billion on his behalf saying the person to look to [on the loan] is Legimo.
Meanwhile, Djoko's former private secretary, Tri Hudi Ernawati, has also said that Djoko engaged her in the receipt of funds. She said that following a meeting between Djoko and Teddy the latter told her that a [co-op] staffer would be delivering Rp 1 billion.
"After that, Djoko called [me] and said that Teddy would deliver Rp 1 billion," said Tri Hudi, asserting that the money came packed in a single box that was delivered by Halijah and another member of Teddy's staff, Darmawan.
Tri Hudi admitted to receiving co-op money on four other occasions, but specified that those times the money was "from Legimo." "Yes, four times [from Legimo]. But I don't remember the exact time," said Tri Hudi.
Traffic Corps computer operator Wasis Tripambudi, who was one of Djoko's aides and worked with him closely, corroborated Teddy's statement – that both went to Plaza Senayan to deliver four boxes of money. Wasis said that on three other occassions he delivered to Djoko's house boxes of which contents he didn't know had come from Legimo.