The graft case linking errant Democrat lawmaker Muhammad Nazaruddin to corruption surrounding the construction of the athletes' village in Palembang for November's Southeast Asian Games has gripped the nation's attention for three months now.
The case started with the arrest of Nazaruddin's assistant, Mindo Rosalina Manulang, at the lawmaker's company, Anak Negeri, in April. Also arrested were Sports Ministry secretary Wafid Muharam and Muhammad El Idris, an executive from private construction firm Duta Graha Indah, which had won the contract to build the athletes' village in Palembang, South Sumatra.
Envelopes full of cash in different currencies were found inside Wafid's office, and Rp 3.2 billion ($375,000) in checks from Duta Graha to Wafid were also seized.
In the days following the arrest, Rosalina's lawyer, Kamaruddin Simanjuntak, alleged that Nazaruddin took Rp 25 billion for mediating between the government and the winning contractor, and that Democrat legislator Angelina Sondakh took a 13 percent cut to provide kickbacks for her colleagues at the House of Representatives' Commission X, overseeing sports and youth affairs.
April 29: Rosalina withdrew her statement, saying that it was made by Kamaruddin and she did not have any knowledge about it. She fired the lawyer the next day.
May 10: The Democratic Party questioned Nazaruddin and Angelina. The party said they did not find any evidence to support Rosalina's claims about the lawmakers' involvement in the graft.
May 23: Nazaruddin left Indonesia to allegedly seek medical treatment in Singapore for a heart condition. House Speaker and Democrat Marzuki Alie said the party knew and had given him permission to leave.
May 24: Immigration officials imposed a travel ban on Nazaruddin, hours after he boarded a flight to Singapore.
June 1: Nazaruddin wrote on a personal blog that accusations toward him were "part of a big scenario to bring down the party." The blog was taken off the Internet shortly thereafter. The month of June also saw Nazaruddin accusing Democrat officials of being party to bribery case, claiming they had knowledge of the graft and had received portions of the money.
June 30: The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Nazaruddin as a suspect in the Sea Games graft case.
July 4: The KPK sent a request to the Immigration Office to revoke Nazaruddin's passport which would render him stateless, and thus any country he was found in would have to deport him.
July 5: The Singapore government announced that the Democratic lawmaker was no longer in Singapore, and had left weeks earlier. A spokesman for the country's Foreign Ministry also alleged that Indonesian authorities had been informed of Nazaruddin's departure.