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Ex-Lawmaker Tells Judges Guilt Made Him Turn Whistle-Blower in Miranda Case

JAKARTA LIFE'S STYLE

A key defendant testified on Wednesday that guilt and old age had motivated him to come clean in a Rp 24 billion ($2.8 million) bribery scandal tied to a Bank Indonesia appointment.

Testifying for the first time at the Anti-Corruption Court, Agus Condro Prayitno is himself a defendant accused of receiving Rp 500 million in traveler’s checks to help elect Miranda Goeltom as Bank Indonesia’s senior deputy governor in 2004.

Agus, a former Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker, turned on a number of his former PDI-P colleagues who are also suspects in the case: Ni Luh Mariani Tirtasari, Soewarno, Matheos Pormes and Soetanto Pranoto.

“I used to be an activist. I used to protest against KKN [corruption, collusion and nepotism]. I am going to die soon and I probably will not be able to return the money because I’ve used it all. I felt guilt. I am aging. I want to fix this,” Agus told presiding Judge Soewidya.

“I told myself: I’m going to confess that I, too, received Rp 500 million from Dudhie.”

Dudhie Makmun Murod is a former PDI-P lawmaker and faction treasurer currently serving two years in prison for taking Rp 500 million to vote for Miranda in the BI selection process.

Agus also said that he decided on his own to confess, without telling any of his colleagues or faction chairman Tjahjo Kumolo.

Agus told judges that it was Dudhie and Emir Moeis, the chairman of the PDI-P faction at House of Representatives’ Commission IX overseeing banking affairs, who distributed the checks.

“Dudhie told me: the money is ready. I received a white envelope. And then he told me to count [the checks inside]. I counted 10, and thanked him,” Agus continued.

Agus also told the judges that he knew the payoff was related to the central bank selection since during a faction meeting, Tjahjo had said that Miranda was willing to provide them with Rp 300 million each, and would not even mind if they had asked for Rp 500 million.

Neither Emir, Tjahjo nor Miranda have been named as suspects in the case.

Tjahjo on Wednesday testified as a witness, and denied that he ever said such things.

He added that his party’s decision to vote for Miranda was reached in a faction meeting, and that the evaluation process had been objective.

Miranda appeared in court on Wednesday to testify as a witness for the second time.

She denied that she had anything to do with the checks, adding that her meeting with PDI-P faction members from Commission IX was purely to discuss her mission and vision.

(http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/ex-lawmaker-tells-judges-guilt-made-him-turn-whistle-blower-in-miranda-case/443269)
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