TEMPO.CO, Jakarta- The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) must immediately wrap up the corruption case involving the purchase of an integrated radio communication system by the Forestry Ministry. The sentence given to the main bribery perpetrator in this case, Anggoro Widjojo is a clear fact and strong legal evidence that can be used to round up other people implicated in this Rp180 billion corruption case. It involves not just former Forestry Minister M.S. Kaban but also a number of House of Representatives (DPR) members, who have so far denied their involvement in this shameful affair.
Last week, the Corruption Court sentenced Anggoro to five years in prison. The CEO of Masaro Radiocom, who initially fled to Singapore and China before he was captured in Shenzhen last January, was proven guilty of bribing Minister Kaban and a number of legislators from the Forestry Commission during the 2004-2009 legislative term, in order to win the radio communication system project. In court, Anggoro accepted his guilt and the sentence given to him. If he does not appeal, the sentence will have strong legal implication over other related cases.
Several pieces of evidence were presented during the trial. In the period between 2006 and 2008, Anggoro reportedly delivered five packets consisting of US$15,000, US$10,000, US$20,000, Rp50 million and S$40,000. Some of it was delivered to his official residence at the Mega Kuningan ministers' complex in South Jakarta.
In addition to Kaban, Anggoro also gave money to Forestry Commission Chairman Yusuf Erwin Faisal, who shared it with some members of the commission. Besides money, Anggoro also paid for the installation of two elevators for the office of the Indonesian Islamic Proselytizing Council. This US$58,000 gift was given at the behest of Kaban, who as chairman of the Crescent Star Party (PBB), often used the council office for his party activities.
The bribery case which happened seven years ago has only put a few of those implicated in jail. Among them are Yusuf Faisal and Wandojo Siswanto, head of the Forestry Department of Planning, who got four and a half years and three-year jail terms, respectively. But the others remain free. Kaban has repeatedly claimed he gained nothing from the project that was awarded without a tender. Other legislators, such as Suswono, the current agriculture minister, said he surrendered the Rp50 million he received from Anggoro, to the KPK.
From the evidence presented at the trial, it is clear that Kaban actually asked Anggoro for money. He sent Anggoro messages through his cellphone asking for money to be delivered to his home. Such evidence proves that as a government official, Kaban has committed extortion. It does not make sense that Anggoro would repeatedly send money to Kaban without being asked or forced to do so.
The KPK must thoroughly end this money trafficking and their perpetrators, the proof of which were clearly and undisputedly presented in court. The KPK should have not doubt about indicting and trying them.
No amount of money returned to the state can absolve the fact that a crime has taken place. Article 4 of the Law on Anti-Corruption clearly states that returning money as a result of a corrupt act, does not erase the crime itself. (*)
