KPK Questions Former Budget Director over Quran Procurement Graft

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) summoned the Finance Ministry's former director general of budget Herry Purnomo on Friday. Herry is questioned as a witness in the alleged graft case for Quran procurement at the Religious Affairs Ministry.

"He will be questioned as a witness for suspect Fahd El Fouz," KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah said.

KPK investigators also summoned the Religious Affairs Ministry Secretariat General's chief of bureau planning, Syamsuddin, for the same purpose. 

Fahd El Fouz a.k.a. Fahd A Rafiq was chairman of the Golkar Youth Generation (AMPG) when he was named suspect by the KPK on April 27. 

Fahd, Zulkarnaen Djabar—member of the House of Representatives Commission VIII for the 2009-2014 period, and Zulkarnaen's son Dendy Prasetya Zulkarnaen Putra are suspected of receiving bribes in the procurement process.

There were three projects at the Finance ministry implicated in the case. There is the computer laboratory procurement project for madrasah tsanawiyah (Islamic junior high schools) which had a fee of Rp4.74 billion. There are also fees for Quran procurement projects in 2011 and 2012 amounting to Rp9.65 billion.

Fahd, Zulkarnaen and Dendy are suspected of having swindled Rp14.83 billion. Fahd allegedly received Rp3.41 billion.

Zulkarnaen and his son Dendy have been tried for the case. Zulkarnaen was sentenced to 15 years in prison while Dendy was given an eight-year sentence. Both men were ordered to pay a fine Rp300 million each.

MAYA AYU PUSPITASARI