Asia - Pacific

Indonesia begins graft trial over identity card scheme

Prosecutors say at least 27 officials accepted millions of dollars in bribes under loss-ridden scheme

Ekip  | 09.03.2017 - Update : 09.03.2017
Indonesia begins graft trial over identity card scheme

Jakarta Raya

By Ainur Rohmah

TUBAN, Indonesia

Indonesia's anti-corruption body is accusing at least 27 officials of having accepted millions of dollars in brides under an electronic identity cards scheme that cost the state around $190 million in losses.

Two former Home Ministry officials -- Irman and Sugiharto, who like many Indonesians use one name -- appeared in court Thursday for the first hearing of the electronic identity card graft trial.

Irene Putrie, a lawyer from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), was quoted by kompas.com as saying, “in addition to enriching themselves, the two defendants also enriched other people and corporations."

The electronic identity card program was launched in 2011 with the aim of ensuring more data security and more efficient applications.

While originally projected to cost 5.8 trillion rupiah (nearly $433 million), Indonesia’s Supreme Audit Agency has revealed that state losses blamed on corruption amounted to 2.5 trillion rupiah.

On Thursday, prosecutors said the two defendants cooperated with businessman Andi Agustinus in lobbying some politicians to urge House members to approve a budget proposal for the project.

House Speaker Setya Novanto, and two former high-ranking members of the then ruling Democratic Party, Anas Urbaningrum and Muhammad Nazaruddin, were named as key actors who could have influenced other lawmakers.

Prosecutors say only 51 percent of the budget was used for the project while the rest went to at least 27 government officials -- 24 of them House members -- some of whom have since assumed new positions.

Of the funds, around 574 billion rupiah (over $42 million) allegedly went to Novanto and Agustinus, $4.5 million to former Home Minister Gamawan Fauzi, and $84,000 to Justice Minister Yasonna Laoly who was a parliamentarian at the time.

KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah told The Jakarta Post on Sunday that 14 House members had returned money allegedly used to bribe them during the graft investigation.

On Thursday, KPK Chairman Agus Rahardjo said the public might be surprised by the prominent figures mentioned during the trial, but expressed hope that the case would not destabilize the current government.

The prosecution is set to present a total of 133 witnesses in upcoming hearings at the Jakarta Corruption Court, which are open to the public but will not be broadcast live.

In its 2015 Corruption Perceptions Index, Transparency International ranked Indonesia 88 out of 168 countries, an improvement from 107 the previous year.

President Joko Widodo, who took office in 2014, has repeatedly expressed his commitment to eradicating corruption, inviting the anti-graft agency to investigate anyone involved in a scandal.

Anti-graft activists have called on the KPK to net more suspects in the electronic identify card case, particularly from the Home Ministry and the companies involved in the procurement.

Anadolu Agency website contains only a portion of the news stories offered to subscribers in the AA News Broadcasting System (HAS), and in summarized form. Please contact us for subscription options.
Related topics
Bu haberi paylaşın