Rio Abadi, Jakarta – The National Democratic Party (Nasdem) issued a denial on Saturday in response to allegations made by a senior anti-graft official that it received billions of rupiah in ill-gotten funds from corruption suspect Syahrul Yasin Limpo as part of a high-profile graft scandal.
Syahrul, who recently resigned from his position as the agriculture minister to address his legal proceedings, was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Thursday on charges of collecting funds from Agriculture Ministry officials in exchange for their promotions. Notably, Syahrul is a senior member of Nasdem.
During a news conference the following day, KPK Deputy Chairman Alexander Marwata claimed that Syahrul had "ordered money transfers worth billions of rupiah to be used for Nasdem's interests."
Nasdem's chief treasurer, Ahmad Sahroni, responded vehemently to these allegations and threatened to take legal action against the KPK if the statement was not retracted.
"Just last night, [Alexander] made an accusation that graft suspect Syahrul Yasin Limpo had transferred funds to Nasdem, and I, as the treasurer, can confirm that no such transfer took place," Sahroni said during a press conference held at Nasdem Tower in Jakarta.
Sahroni went on to explain that he had thoroughly examined Nasdem's accounts in search of the alleged transfer of billions of rupiah by Syahrul but found no evidence to support the claim. He noted that Syahrul's most recent deposit was for Rp 20 million and was intended as a donation to aid disaster victims.
Sahroni expressed concern that these accusations could harm Nasdem, particularly as the country approaches presidential and legislative elections next year.
"We are considering taking legal action against Alex Marwata's statement, which has falsely implicated us as a corrupt party," he said.
Syahrul is the second Nasdem minister to face corruption charges, following the arrest of Communication and Informatics Minister Johnny Plate by the Attorney General's Office in May, on allegations of bribery related to a government internet infrastructure project.
Source: https://jakartaglobe.id/news/nasdem-denies-receiving-billions-from-graft-suspect-syahru