Money Distribution Uncovered
The electronic identity (e-ID) card trial continues with the presentation of a number of witnesses, including former home minister Gamawan Fauzi, at the Corruption Court, Jakarta, Thursday (16/3). During the hearing Gamawan vowed not to receive any money and that the money amounting to Rp 50 million he received was payment as a speaker.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS — The distribution of money to a number of parties in the 2011-2012 electronic identity card (e-KTP) procurement project has started to be uncovered.
House of Representatives Speaker Setya Novanto is said to have played a role in the implementation of the Rp 5.9 trillion project, which resulted in Rp 2.3 trillion in state losses.
In her testimony at the Jakarta Corruption Court on Thursday (16/3), former Home Ministry secretary-general Diah Anggraini admitted accepting US$300,000 from the ministry’s then Population and Civil Registration director general Irman and another US$200,000 from businessman Andi Agustinus, alias Andi Narogong.
Before the money was paid, Diah said Irman told her about the amount of the money being distributed. “At the end of 2013, we were contacted by Irman. He said there was some money. However, we never asked where it came from. There were seven disbursements, three for him (Irman), three for me and one for Giarto (Sugiharto),” said Diah in the hearing led by presiding judge Jhon Halasan Butarbutar.
Yesterday, Diah was one of the witnesses in the trial of defendants Irman and Sugiharto, the Population and Civil Registration Directorate General’s former director of Population Administration Information Management at the Home Ministry. Other witnesses brought in to testify included former home minister Gamawan Fauzi and former House of Representatives Commission II chairman Chairuman Harahap.
In her testimony, Diah claimed she did not know that the money she received from Irman and Andi was from the e-KTP project until she was questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). She also said that she had intended to return the money but was stopped from doing so by Irman. “Don’t, Bu! If you return it, it would be the same as committing suicide. I would never admit I to receiving the money even if they threatened to shoot me. That was what Irman said,” Diah said in her testimony.
Diah also confirmed that there had been a recess assistance request from House member Miryam S Haryani. However, Diah was not the one approached at the time because the request was directed at Irman, who was working on the e-KTP procurement project. Irman was understood to have often asked Andi for money.
This was revealed in Diah’s police investigation report (BAP) read out by the prosecutors. “In number 7 of your investigation report, you said \'I met Andi in around 2012 or early 2013 in the Commission II room, after a meeting with Commission II. At the time, Andi complained: ‘I’m worried, Bu. Pak Irman keeps asking for money for the minister. Sometimes through Sugiharto, sometimes by himself\',” said prosecutor Abdul Basyir, confirmed by Diah.
Denial
Former Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi denied that he accepted any money from the e-KTP project. In the indictment, Gamawan was said to have received US$4.5 million and Rp 50 million. However, he said he only received Rp 50 million, which he claimed was a work visit bonus. There was also Rp 1.5 billion from Afdal Noverman that he borrowed for medical treatment and Rp 1 billion from his brother Azmin Aulia for cattle breeding.
“I never received a single cent. I ask all of the people of Indonesia to pray that I die right now if I received even a single cent,” Gamawan said.
Meanwhile, former Commission II chairman Chairuman Harahap, who in the indictment is said to have received US$584,000 and Rp 26 billion from the e-KTP project, said he was confused because he never accepted any money. This is because in August 2012, the time he was supposedly given the money, he no longer chaired Commission II.
Unclear
In yesterday’s hearing, Gamawan explained that the change of budget source for the e-KTP procurement was proposed by the House and the previous home minister, Mardiyanto. The letter he issued in November 2009 was a follow up to the proposal.
However, Chairuman gave a conflicting testimony. He said that in accordance with the budget proposal system, a change in the source or amount of a budget has to be based on a proposal by the government, which knew the details of the necessary allocation. The House only reviews, discusses and approves it. “(The House) does not propose,” he said.
The indictment against Irman and Sugiharto states that in late November 2009, Gamawan who at the time was the Home Minister, sent a letter to the Finance Minister and the National Development Planning Board (Bappenas) head regarding the proposed funding of the e-KTP procurement. In the letter, Gamawan asked for the funding source of the e-KTP project, which was initially to be funded by a foreign loan, to be changed and funded by the state budget instead.
Meeting
In her testimony yesterday, Diah also mentioned House speaker Setya Novanto, who in 2004-2009 was the head of the Golkar faction in the House of Representatives.
In the hearing, judge Anwar asked about a meeting at the Gran Melia Hotel. Diah confirmed that she along with Andi, Irman and Sugiharto went to the hotel at 06:00 a.m. to meet Novanto. “There was Pak Setya Novanto. He was in a rush because he needed to go to somewhere else,” Diah said.
“What did Setya Novanto say?” asked Anwar.
“He said there was an e-KTP program at the Home Ministry. A national strategic program. Let’s secure the project together,” Diah said.
“Is that all?” asked Anwar again, to which Dian answered in the affirmative.
Diah also said she received a message from Novanto at the inauguration of the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) head in 2014 to be passed on to Irman. In the message Novanto reportedly asked Diah to tell Irman to deny knowing him should anyone ask. Diah said she did not know what it meant, but passed the message on to Irman through Population and Civil Registry director general Zuhdan Arif Fakrullah.
Separately, KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah reminded every witness to speak the truth. He gave the example of Muchtar Effendi, a close associate of former Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar, who was sentenced to five years in prison for perjury in Akil’s trial.
“Therefore, it is important that witnesses speak truthfully,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Indonesian Anti-Corruption Society (MAKI) yesterday reported Setya Novanto to the House ethics council (MKD) for allegedly lying to the public.
MAKI coordinator Boyamin Saiman said that Novanto had on a number of occasions claimed that he had never met the defendants of the e-KTP case, such as Diah Anggraini, to discuss the e-KTP project.
Commenting on the move to report him, Novanto said, “Later, in court. I leave everything to the court. At this stage I don’t even know what I am being reported for.”
The MKD deputy chairman from the Hanura Party faction, Sarifuddin Sudding, said the MKD could not follow up on the report by MAKI at this time because the e-KTP case was still being tried and the KPK had not announced whether it would investigate Novanto.
(IAN/GAL/MHD/MDN/APA/AGE/DIT)
