Ulma Haryanto & Anita Rachman – An ousted co-founder of the Prosperous Justice Party reported the party's second-highest official to the antigraft commission for embezzlement on Monday.

Yusuf Supendi, who in 1998 helped establish the party now known as the PKS, said he had brought the case to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in a bid to "combat evil and save the PKS that I founded from incorrect behavior."

He claimed that Anis Matta, the PKS secretary general and a deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, had embezzled Rp 10 billion ($1.2 million) from the party's campaign chest for the 2007 gubernatorial election in Jakarta.

"At that time, there was a briefcase containing Rp 40 billion that was handed to our regional office," he said. "Anis took Rp 10 billion for himself."

Yusuf claimed the money came from the party's candidate, Adang Daradjatun, a former National Police deputy chief, who went on to lose the election to Fauzi Bowo.

"The party's Shariah council investigated the case, but it was dropped after intervention by the council's chairman and consultative body," Yusuf said.

He also said he had 12 witnesses who could testify to the alleged embezzlement, some of whom took part in the internal investigation, as well as supporting documents that he had submitted to the KPK.

Last week, Yusuf reported PKS chairman Luthfi Hasan Ishaq to the House Ethics Council for embezzling donations from the Middle East during campaigning for the 1999 general elections, and Rp 34 billion from then-Vice President Jusuf Kalla during the 2004 presidential campaign.

However, he denied he was reporting the allegations in retaliation for being fired from the party last November.

"I'd accept their decision to fire me if it was done according to prevailing procedures, but it wasn't," he said. "I'm still waiting for them to send me a copy of the decision, and as soon as they do, I'll challenge it at the State Administrative Court."

Johan Budi, a KPK spokesman, said the commission would study Yusuf's claims. "It's standard procedure for the KPK to study all documents submitted to us and determine whether the cases fall within our jurisdiction," he said.

Anis dismissed Yusuf's allegations, saying he had long had an ax to grind with the party.

"The PKS will not respond if there are no facts," he said. "And Yusuf has been accusing the party since 2005 or 2006."

Nudirman Munir, a Golkar Party legislator and deputy chairman of the House Ethics Council, said the council would follow up on Yusuf's report against Luthfi.

The council is scheduled to convene a meeting today to discuss the case and determine whether Yusuf's report contains enough supporting evidence to start a probe.

"After that, we can begin an investigation and question witnesses," Nudirman said.