TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The former chairman of the East Java Chamber of Commerce and Industry La Nyalla Mattalitti denies saying that the Gerindra Party Chairman Prabowo Subianto had extorted him. He blames the media for inventing the phrase.

“I also never said that Prabowo asked me for a political dowry,” he said in a press release received by Tempo today, Jan. 17.

La Nyalla said that the Rp40 billion that Prabowo asked of him was not a political dowry, but was instead to fund Gerindra’s members who act as witnesses in voting polls. However, La Nyalla refused to give the funds considering that he is only willing to provide it after he is officially registered at the General Elections Commission (KPU) as a gubernatorial candidate.

Read: Tempo News: La Nyalla Claims Prabowo Has Extorted Him for Rp40bn

“Pay close attention to my statement. I said that I was asked by Prabowo to fund the witnesses,” La Nyalla confirmed.

On January 12, La Nyalla bluntly said stated that he was asked by Prabowo to provide Rp40 billion for his candidacy in the 2018 East Java Gubernatorial election.

"The money was to fund witnesses before Gerindra can issue an official recommendation letter,” said the businessman and Gerindra Party cadre during a press conference on January 12.

La Nyalla would only agree to fund party witnesses and the winning funds after he is officially registered at the KPU. He, therefore, also wrote a check for Rp70 billion that can only be cashed after he is officially a gubernatorial candidate.

M Yusuf Manurung