Legislators Turning Into Brokers - KPK Arrests House Commission III Member I Putu Sudiartana

The arrest of a member of the House of Representatives' Commission III, I Putu Sudiartana, by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Tuesday (28/6/2016) indicated the existence of legislators who misuse their authority by allegedly serving as brokers for government projects being deliberated at the House.

Putu, who served on Commission III on law, is suspected to have "managed" a Rp 300 billion (US22.78 million) infrastructure project that should have been within the authority of Commission V to deliberate. Furthermore, the project exists in West Sumatra, while Putu is a legislator from the Democratic Party faction and has Bali as his constituency.

Putu was just the latest in a long string of legislators who have been arrested for allegedly having turned into project "brokers".

In late 2015, the KPK arrested legislator Dewie Yasin Limpo for allegedly receiving a 7 percent commission in a micro-hydro power generation project in Papua. In January 2016, the KPK arrested another legislator, Damayanti Wisnu Putranti, for allegedly receiving a bribe in a road project in Maluku. Based on KPK data from 2004 to May 31, 2016, 112 national and local legislators were arrested by the KPK on corruption charges.

KPK deputy chief Basaria Panjaitan said in Jakarta on Wednesday that Putu's arrest was related to bribery in a plan to develop 12 roads in West Sumatra that has a total budget of Rp 300 billion. The project was planned to be budgeted over three years, starting from the revised state budget in 2016. The project had been proposed by the West Sumatra road, spatial planning and settlement infrastructure agency.

The KPK had named five suspects in the case. Three of them were Putu Sudiartana, his secretary Noviyanti and his confidant Suhemi, who were named as the parties receiving the bribe. Meanwhile, West Sumatra road, spatial planning and settlement infrastructure agency head Suprapto and businessman Yogan Askan, who was alleged to be managing the road projects, were also named as suspects as the parties providing the bribe. Noviyanti's husband Muchlis was arrested but later released as it was found that his bank account was only used to receive the bribe money.

The whole operation began with the arrest of Noviyanti and Muchlis at their house in Petamburan, Jakarta, on Tuesday at about 6 p.m. Afterwards, at about 9 p.m., KPK investigators headed to Putu's official residence in the House of Representatives complex in Ulujami, South Jakarta.

Still on the same day, at about 11 p.m., the KPK arrested Suprapto and Yogan in Padang, West Sumatra. At about 3 a.m. on Wednesday, the KPK arrested Suhemi in Tebing Tinggi, North Sumatra. Suhemi was alleged to have been the liaison between Putu and the bribers in Padang.

According to Basaria, the bribes were given by Yogan and Suprapto to Putu through the bank accounts of Muchlis and Noviyanti. Investigators have seized three bank transfer receipts dated June 25 and June 27 with the sums being Rp 150 million, Rp 300 million and Rp 50 million. Furthermore, at Putu's house, the KPK also seized a sum of SGD 40,000 in SGD 1,000 notes. KPK is still investigating the source of the money.

KPK deputy chief Laode M. Syarif said that KPK investigators would investigate how Putu, who served on House Commission III, could manage infrastructure projects that were under the authority of House Commission V. It is not yet clear if Putu "managed" the projects in his capacity as a member of the House budgetary body or if he was able to influence other commissions.

Laode said he regretted the recurring corruption in the infrastructure sector. He said he hoped the arrest could raise people's awareness that infrastructure projects are national endeavors that needed to be safeguarded. "If the KPK is trusted to be able to work with the House in corruption prevention efforts, we are glad," he said.

Seeking personal profit

University of Indonesia criminal law lecturer Akhiar Salmi said that the recurrence of bribery cases like the one allegedly involving Putu showed that many legislators are serving at the legislature just to chase after lucrative projects to seek personal profit instead of doing their work as the people's representatives. "It seems that they never learn their lessons and stop being corrupt," Akhiar said.

The case involving Putu also revealed the various loopholes legislators could abuse. The means to seek personal profit can be obtained from various channels.

Democratic Party ethics council head Amir Syamsuddin said that the council had yet to find a strong enough statement and evidence from the KPK that the arrest of Putu, the party's former deputy treasurer, would be part of a series of arrests. However, in relation to the case, the party would sanction Putu by firing him from all official party positions.

 

source Kompas, Thursday, June 30, 2016