TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Former interior minister Gamawan Fauzi has denied Muhammad Nazaruddin’s accusations that he was involved in electronic identity card (e-KTP) project graft case. “Oh.. I was certainly not [involved], never, I’m sure of that,” Gamawan said Thursday after being questioned by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Gamawan said he did not know who Nazaruddin was. He even said that he had never met with the former Democratic Party politician. He therefore dismissed all accusations made by Nazaruddin against him.

“Which statement? Because changed his statements often,” Gamawan said. He also confirmed that he had never discussed e-KTP project with lawmakers, including Nazarudding. “You can verify it.”

Gamawan was also not aware of the consortium in relation to the e-KTP procurement. Gamawan claimed that he was not aware of Rp2 tillion loss incurred by the state. He said he had only knew about the case recently after the KPK arrested Irman, a former interior ministry official.

The former minister during Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) administration also said that he did not know the winning bidder Quadra Solution. According to him, he had no business with the winning bidder.

Gamawan added that the e-KTP project had been approved by the Finance Ministry. The then-finance minister Sri Mulyani even attended a meeting on the project.

According to Gamawan, the project was based on the provisions of Law No. 23/2006 on Population Administration. He said that the law holds that residents must already have citizenship registration number (NIK) five years after the inactment of the law at the latest. “Thereafter, 19 days after my appointment as minister, I was invited by the House to set up the budget on November 11, 2009.”

SBY adminstration later formed a technical committee comprising personnel from 15 ministries. He also claimed that he had informed the KPK and asked for supervision. He therefore wondered why the KPK said that the government had incurred Rp2 trillion loss in the project.

Earlier, Nazaruddin had named Gamawan over alleged involvement in e-KTP graft case.

AVIT HIDAYAT | PUSMAYA AYU