Dian Kuswandini, Jakarta – Slowly but surely, corruption is making its way to the presidential office.
At a time when the administration of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is waging a war on corruption, the Attorney General's Office (AGO) announced a graft case involving two officials of the State Secretariat who served under the previous president.
The AGO has named three suspects in connection with a mark-up of equipment used by the secretariat: Kemal Munawar, a senior diplomat and presidential household chief to former president Megawati Soekarnoputri; Djaka Poernama, the head of the State Secretariat's building and facility division; and Ronal Natanel, the director of private company PT Indosil Multi Pratama.
Assistant attorney general for special crimes Marwan Effendi said Friday the suspects had allegedly inflated the value of tenders to procure fire fighting equipment, fire alarms and air conditioners at the Presidential Palace and the nearby Bina Graha complex.
The alleged embezzlement of state funds is believed to be responsible for nearly Rp 9 billion in state losses. "The budget for the Bina Graha project, for example, was set at some Rp 6 billion, but the suspects spent only Rp 1.5 billion," Marwan said.
According to Marwan, the state officials violated existing procedures by holding tenders even after appointing business partners in the procurement.
"In one project, they allegedly handpicked three business partners, while in other projects they allegedly paid some associates between Rp 300,000 and 700,000 to join the tenders, making them look like competitive bidders," Marwan said.
The AGO has not arrested the three suspects, although the case allows the prosecutors to do so in accordance with the law.
Marwan said lack of space at the AGO detention center was the only impediment to arresting the suspects, albeit a temporary one. "Moreover, we're sure they won't try to flee," Marwan added.
In response to the case, State Secretary Hatta Rajasa asked the AGO to proceed with its investigation.
"It (the alleged corruption) occurred long before President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono came to office. The investigation must continue, but we need to maintain the presumption of innocence," Hatta was quoted by Antara as saying on the sidelines of the president's visit to East Java.
The graft case will teach officials at the State Secretariat a lesson, particularly with respect to managing the state budget, Hatta added.
Corruption scandals at the presidential office made headlines back in 2005, following the testimony of Bondan Gunawan, the state secretary during the tenure of president Abdurrahman Wahid, who served from 1999 and 2001.
Bondan claimed to be in possession of documents related to an alleged embezzlement at the State Secretariat, subsequently handing them over to the AGO. The scandal revolved around the misuse of the 2004 state budget for activities at the State Secretariat as well as for the management of the secretariat's assets, including Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Kemayoran airport and Taman Ria Senayan park.