TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) said it will try to prove alleged mandate of direct appointment and travellers' cheque receipt by Siti Fadilah Supari at the Corruption Court. The former health minister for 2004-2009 term has been dragged into allaged corruption in the procurement of health equipment in 2005, in which she has been named suspect.

“The KPK investigators do not work based on political interests,” the KPK Information and Publication Bureau head Priharsa Nugraha told Tempo yesterday. “The KPK works based on our conviction that we will remain in our way of eradicating corruption.”

The statement was made following Siti’s accusation that her status as suspect reeks of political considerations. Moreover, he said that the KPK has found two preliminary evidence of corruption, which has convinced them to take over the case from the Police.

Aside from direct appointment in the project, Siti has allegedly received fee for health equipment procurement in the form of a traveler’s cheque worth Rp1.275 billion from Health Department Crisis Management Center head Rustam Syarifudin Pakaya—who has been sentenced in relation to the case. The bribe was allegedly made in connection with Siti’s approval to use the budget allocated for bird flu for procurement of health equipment.

Rustam, however, in a trial in October 2012, had denied handing over traveler’s cheque from a partner to Siti Fadilah. “I have never handed over Mandiri traveler’s cheque to Minister Siti,” Rustam said in the trial.

Siti could face 20 years in jail and Rp1 billion fine. “The KPK is seeking for a maximum sentence,” Priharsa said. According to him, the KPK will soon conclude the investigation process. Siti has been under the KPK’s custody since Monday.

Siti said she is objected to her detainment by the KPK. “This is not fair, it’s criminalization,” she said Monday when being escorted to the KPK car. Siti had also denied receiving traveler’s cheque. “There is no prove that I had received it.”

Siti’s defense lawyer Achmad Cholidin said that his client’s arrest was made based on political considerations. “It’s been politicize, it’s a cruel criminalization against Siti,” he said.

MUHAMAD RIZKI | GRANDY AJI | MAYA AYU PUSPITASARI