FORMER DEMOCRAT TREASURER FLEEING OR PAYING REGULAR VISIT TO S'PORE?

by Andi Adussalam

Jakarta, May 27 (ANTARA) - Sacked ruling Democratic Party PDP treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin is now in Singapore, a neighboring country he has always visited so far.          This time he visited Singapore only one day before a travel ban was issued on him, or several hours before the PD's Council of Ethics announced his dismissal as the the party's general treasurer.          The ethic council made the announcement only two days after Constitutional Court Chairman (MK) Muhfud MD reported to PD Chief Patron Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that Nazaruddin had tried to provide gratification money for the MK.          The money amounted to US$120 thousands was to be given to the KM through its secretary general Janedjri M Gaffar in September 2010.          Before his attempt to extend gratification money to the MK came to light, Nazaruddin had also been mentioned as having involved in an alleged bribery case in the construction of a SEA Games athlete house in Palembang, South Sumatra.          This began when the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested Wafid Muharram, a secretary to the minister for youth and sports affairs at his office on April 21, 2011. When arrested, Wafid was receiving Marketing Director of PT Anak Negeri, Mindo Rosalina Manulang, and Marketing Director of PT Duata Graha Indah, Muhammad El Idris.          When she was grilled by the KPK, Rosalina Manulang said she was a subordinate of Muhammad Nazaruddin, general treasurer of the Democrat Party. Since then, Nazaruddin was suspected to have link with the alleged bribery case, though a week later; Rosalina changed her statement, saying she did not know Nazaruddin.          Amid these two cases, namely alleged gratification and bribery in the South Sumatra project, it was suddenly reported that Nazaruddin was in Singapore, which sparked speculation he was fleeing to the neighboring country.          "Nazaruddin left the country before he was banned to go abroad. He often goes to Singapore so he should not be punished for having seemingly fled to another country," Law and Human Rights Minister  Patrialis Akbar said  on Friday.          Patrialis said  Nazaruddin had often traveled to Singapore so that one should directly accuse him of fleeing, even if he had left before his travel ban was issued.          The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) last Tuesday evening asked for a travel ban on three people, namely Octarina Furi, Yulianis and M Nazaruddin. However, Nazaruddin  left for Singapore on Monday night (May 23), one day before the ban was issued.          According to Ruhut Sitompul, a lawmaker of the Democrat Party, Nazaruddin, he himself a legislator of the PD, did not flee but went to Singapore under the consent of PD faction in the House of Representatives (DPR).          Nazaruddin obtained permission from the leader of the Democratic Party (PD) faction in the  DPR before flying off  to Singapore,  Ruhut Sitompul said.          "Nazaruddin  obtained permission from the DPR faction leader. He had duly asked for prior permission," Ruhut said when contacted through his cellular phone here on Friday.          He said that Nazaruddin left for Singapore for medical treatment purposes and before he left he had submitted a letter of request to the chairman of the Democrat Party faction in the House.          Ruhut even regretted the statement of PD elite as if Nazaruddin had fled to Singapore. However, many senior PD members denied any knowledge of Muhammad Nazaruddin's  departure  to Singapore a day before the issuance of a travel ban on him.          "I do not know. Whereto he fled, I do not know," member of the party's advisory board, EE Mangindaan, said when asked for his confirmation about it at the Presidential Palace. The advisory board as an ethics council fired Nararuddin from his post as party treasurer on Monday.          "I am a member of the ethics council. I have nothing to do with where he would go. That is not my affair," he said.          Another advisory board member Jero Wacik also said that he did not know about Nazeruddin's sudden exit from Indonesia. "I do not know. That is not my affair. I am an ethics council member. My affairs concern party's ethics. That is all," he said.          Jero Wacik said if Nazaruddin had fled and wished to flee that was  the affair of the law enforcement agencies. Therefore, he must come home.          In order to enable the KPK to investigate him, the former PD treasurer has to return home, or at least to prove that he was not fleeing abroad.          In this case, Golkar Party chief adviser Akbar Tanjung hoped that the  PD  would call him home.  "I think the Democrat Party would contact and ask him to go home because he would be investigated," Akbar said on the sidelines of a public discussion on political parties and democracy consolidation on Friday.          On alleged involvement of Nazaruddin in a bribery case, Akbar said he would trust the Corruption Eradication Commission   to investigate it.  "We should leave it to the legal process. To assure whether or not he is involved in a corruption case, we have a legal institution which could do it," he said.          He said that in terms of his institution, the Democrat Party of course already saw and prepared necessary steps it would take against Nazarudin. "The man has been fired as the general treasurer of the DP. This also shows that PD also took into account the public attention because it considered the matter could create bad image of the party," Akbar said.          Moreover, according to Akbar, allegations against the PD cadre should proven in court, and that it should be given to the KPK to investigate it.          As Nazaruddin is said to have fled to Singapore, the KPK is not yet able to summon him, though it has planned to interrogate him as a witness next week.      "Actually, the KPK has not yet set a date for the summoning of Nazaruddin, but it has determined to question him next week," KPK spokesman Johan Budi said.         Therefore, Nazaruddin must come home, Akbar said.***3*** (T.A014/A/H-NG/A/S012) 27-05-2011 23:59: