Andreas D. Arditya, Jakarta – The Bank Indonesia corruption saga has expanded to the President's Cabinet, with new testimony implicating two ministers once tasked with amending the BI Law.
Golkar Party lawmaker Hamka Yandhu testified that National Development Planning Minister Paskah Suzetta and Forestry Minister Malam Sambat Ka'ban accepted around Rp 1 billion and Rp 300 million, respectively, when he distributed Rp 31.5 billion in cash from then BI communications bureau head Rusli Simanjuntak in 2003.
"I personally gave the money to Paskah in four installments. As for M.S. Ka'ban I gave him Rp 300 million," Hamka told the Corruption Court hearing the case of former BI legal affairs deputy Oey Hoey Tiong and Rusli. Neither Paskah nor Ka'ban have been questioned in connection with the case.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is charging Rusli with giving the money to Hamka and fellow Golkar politician Antony Zeidra Abidin.
Hamka admitted that he and Antony, who is the Jambi deputy governor, distributed the money to 50 members of the House of Representatives' Commission IX in relation to their work in resolving the BI liquidity support (BLBI) corruption cases and the amendment of the BI law. Each of the commission members received at least Rp 250 million.
"Rusli told me the money was to be used for promoting and publicizing the BI law to our constituents," Hamka said.
The Commission IX members came from nine factions, including the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), Golkar, the United Development Party (PPP) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).
Hamka said he only accepted Rp 30.55 billion from the total Rp 31.5 billion. "The rest of the money was taken by Rusli and Asnar Ashari. They had a deal with Antony about that," he said. Asnar Ashari was then a BI senior official and a member of BI's Indonesian Banking Development Foundation (YPPI) executive board.
The court also heard the testimony of former commission member Ali As'ad of the PKB, who admitted receiving money from Hamka.
"I had asked him what the money was for. He said it was for a campaign, without explaining which campaign he was referring to. So I used it for my 2004 (election) campaign," said Ali, who later gave the money to KPK after knowing it was "improper money".
The case revolves around the BI board of governors' decision in a June 3, 2003, meeting to disburse Rp 100 billion in BI funds to cover legal expenses of five former senior BI officials and payment for the House's Commission IX members.
Former BI governor Burhanuddin Abdullah is also standing trial separately in the graft case.
Former BI senior official Paul Soetopo also testified before the court Monday, admitting to accepting Rp 10 billion from the BI fund.