PDI-P's Emir Indicted for $424,000 Bribe
Izedrik Emir Moeis, a veteren legislator with the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), appears at his graft trial in Jakarta on Monday.(JG Photo/Safir Makki)
Veteran opposition legislator Izedrik Emir Moeis went on trial on Thursday in a corruption case that could see him face up to 20 years in prison for allegedly taking kickbacks to rig the awarding of a contract to build a power plant.
Irene Putri, a prosecutor for the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), told the Jakarta Anti-Corruption Court that there was irrefutable evidence that Emir, from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), took nearly $424,000 from a fixer to ensure the Rp 2 trillion ($166 million) contract to build the Tarahan plant in Lampung province in 2004 went to the Indonesian subsidiary of French power plant contractor Alstom.
Irene said in the indictment that the money from Alstom was wired to Emir through his son's company, Artha Nusantara Utama. Company officials previously claimed the money was meant for a business venture with Pacific Resource Incorporated, a company owned by Pirooz Mohammad Sarafi, the alleged fixer in the Tarahan deal.
However, Irene said the business deal was fictional and was created solely to wire the fund to Emir.
But a lawyer for Emir said that none of the witnesses questioned by the KPK had explicitly accused Emir of swaying the awarding of the contract in Alstom's favor.
"Not one of them said that my client intervened or influenced the tender in order for Alstom to get the contract," Yanuar P. Wasesa, one of Emir's lawyers, told reporters after the hearing.
"So how could he possibly have taken a bribe? It's not true at all that he was influential in Alstom winning the contract."
The KPK arrested Emir on July 11, after quizzing him for five hours over his involvement in the Tarahan case. Bambang Widjojanto, a KPK deputy chairman, said at the time that the commission had decided to take Emir into custody after determining there was sufficient evidence and witness testimony to build a convincing case against him.
The KPK is also investigating Zuliansyah Putra Zulkarnain, the director of Artha Nusantara Utama, and Reza Rustam Munaf, the general manager of Indonesia Site Marine. Both companies were part of the consortium that won the Tarahan contract with Alstom Indonesia.
Reza has been identified by local media as a former official with Alstom Power Energy Systems Indonesia, a subsidiary of Alstom Indonesia. Zuliansyah, for his part, is said to have authorized the use of his company's bank account to receive the payments allegedly meant for Emir. The KPK has issued bans on Zuliansyah and Reza from traveling abroad, in an indication that it could charge them in the case soon. For now, both are being treated as witnesses.
Prior to his arrest, Emir was served as the chairman of the House of Representatives' Commission XI, which oversees financial affairs.
Emir was accompanied at Thursday's hearing by Tjahjo Kumolo, the secretary general of the PDI-P, who said he was there "just to take a look." The party has refuted the allegations against Emir since they first surfaced last year. Novianti Setuningsih
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