Novianti Setuningsih, Jakarta – A key witness has alleged that Edhie Baskoro Yudhoyono, the youngest son of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, took a $200,000 backhander from a slew of "dirty projects" handled by Anas Urbaningrum, the former Democratic Party chairman currently standing trial for corruption.

Yulianis, a former close aide to Anas, testified at the latter's trial on Thursday that Muhammad Nazaruddin, the former Democrat treasurer, handed the money to Edhie in April 2010, a month before the party congress that saw Anas elected party chairman – allegedly by buying votes from scores of party officials.

"Before the congress, Nazaruddin gave money to Andi and to Edhie," Yulianis told the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court, referring to Andi Mallarangeng, Anas's rival at the congress for the Democrat chair. She added that the payments had been authorized by Anas.

Edhie at the time held an influential position as chairman of the steering committee for the congress. Anas named Edhie the Democrat secretary general, the number two post in the party, shortly after he won the party chair.

This is not the first time Edhie has been alleged to have taken a bribe in connection with the congress, which Anas is accused of having rigged with the aid of a Rp 100 billion ($8.5 million) kickback from state-owned constructor Adhi Karya in exchange for helping it win a Rp 2.5 trillion government contract to build a sports center in Hambalang, Bogor.

Anas made an identical allegation against Edhie in March this year, and called on antigraft investigators to question the president's son.

Yulianis, the former deputy finance director at the Permai Group, an umbrella corporation for a string of shell companies allegedly used by Anas and Nazaruddin to snag government contracts, previously said that the money given to Edhie and Andi came from these "dirty projects."

"It was dirty money, because all the projects – all the money linked to the Permai Group – was dirty; these were projects that were being investigated by the authorities, all of them," she said in December last year.

Edhie has previously denied any wrongdoing in connection with either the party congress or the Hambalang case.

Nazaruddin was in 2012 convicted of rigging the awarding of a contract to build an athletes' village for the 2011 Southeast Asian Games, for which he is currently serving a seven-year sentence.

Andi was last month sentenced to four years in prison for his role in the Hambalang scandal, while Anas faces corruption charges in the same case that could land him in prison for up to 20 years.

Yulianis has not been charged, in exchange for cooperating with investigators tracking the flow of the dirty money through the Permai Group. Her testimony has been instrumental in sending several senior Democrats and their associates to jail, including Nazaruddin's wife, Neneng Sri Wahyuni, and Angelina Sondakh, a former deputy secretary general of the party.

Sutan Bhatoegana, a senior Democrat legislator, has been charged in the Hambalang case, though has not yet been detained. Edhie has yet to be questioned by investigators.

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/presidents-son-200k-bribery-allegation/