Friday, April 22, 2011

Sports Ministry Official Busted in Alleged Southeast Asian Games Corruption Scandal

Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission has taken a senior government official into custody in connection with strong indications of corruption allegedly involving construction of the athletes village for the Southeast Asian Games in Palembang in November.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi told the Jakarta Globe on Friday that the investigators from the antigraft agency swooped on the State Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs in Senayan, South Jakarta, on Thursday night.

Johan said two men and a woman had been taken into custody after the bust at the office of ministry secretary Wafid Muharam.

He said the trio, identified as ministry official WM, businessman MI and mediator R, a woman, had been taken away for further questioning. Also recovered were documents and checks totaling Rp 2 billion [$231,750].

WM is believed to be Wafid Muharam.

“We also searched [Wafid’s] and R’s offices, we suspected the checks were given in connection with the construction of an athletes village for the upcoming SEA Games in Palembang,” Johan said.

The budget for the athletes’ village is Rp 200 billion.

The 26th SEA Games will be held on Nov. 11-20. The country is hosting the Games for the first time since 1997.

Indonesian Terrorists Planned to Film Indonesia Church Blasts: Police

The plotters of a foiled Easter church bombing in Indonesia planned to film the attack and could be behind other atrocities, police said Friday, with the nation on its highest alert level. 

Antiterror police arrested 19 suspects and defused five bombs around the church, on the outskirts of Jakarta, on Thursday. 

Some of the devices had been positioned on a nearby empty plot where a gas pipe runs underground. 

"They had prepared to shoot the bombing of the church and broadcast it. That was their plan," National Police spokesman Anton Bachrul Alam said. 

He said police arrested the mastermind of the planned attack in Aceh after he fled Jakarta. 

"This is a new cell. The mastermind had planned to activate the bombs on Friday at 9 a.m. using timers," Alam said. 

The suspects were also behind recent "book bombs" sent to several addresses including those of liberal Muslim figures and a counter-terrorism official, police said. No one was killed in those attacks. 

Many of the detainees had university degrees, according to police. 

Several of the 19 arrested could also be linked to last week's suicide bombing inside a local police headquarters compound in the city of Cirebon, in West Java, police said. 

The bomber, who detonated his explosives during Friday prayers in a mosque, was killed instantly and injured 30 people. 

The attack was the first suicide bombing inside a mosque in the world's largest Muslim-majority nation of 240 million people. 

"We are still on highest level of alert," Alam cautioned.

Jakarta police deployed 20,000 officers to safeguard Easter celebrations in the capital. 

Buky Sudradjat, a Christian who lives in South Jakarta, said that he attended a Good Friday church service and found it guarded by dozens of police. 

"The church service this morning was still packed with people despite the church bomb," Sudradjat said. "It's quite horrifying when I think about the bomb threat, but I still plan to come to church on Sunday for Easter service no matter what," he said. 

Indonesia has been rocked by a series of attacks staged by regional terror network Jemaah Islamiyah in recent years, including the 2002 Bali bombings which killed 202 people. 

Brussels-based think-tank International Crisis Group on Tuesday pointed to a new trend of small violent groups adopting "individual jihad" aimed at local "enemies", including police and Christians.

Kemenkeu Denies There are 46 employees Suspicious Transaction Tax

Jakarta Ministry of Finance denied still there are 46 cases of suspicious transactions after the disclosure of employee tax DG GaiusTambunan, 
as expressed Center Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (INTRAC).Inspector General of the Ministry of Finance Sonny Loho statedfindings related INTRAC 46 employees.
Kemenkeu suspicioustransactions
 is not something new,
because it has entered into 62INTRAC report to Kemenkeu throughout 2007 to March 2010.

"The 46 were combined to March there are 62 reports," he said whenmet at Gedung Dhanapala Ministry of Finance, Wahidin Jalan Raya,Jakarta, Wednesday (20/04/2011).

However, Sonny said it will continue to coordinate with relatedINTRAC INTRAC's findings concerning the employees Kemenkeu.

"I've met Mr. Yunus (Head INTRAC), if there is hope that the findingsreported and every day there are only 1-2 direct reports and our entry(IG) study," he said.

Previously, INTRAC menemukantransaksi reveal still suspicious(suspicios transaction) 

by the employee after-tax Gaius caseTambunan. INTRAC has reported these findings to the lawenforcement officers.

"If you asked if there were any findings of suspicious transactions byemployees and tax authorities. Yes still there," said Yunus.

It said Yunus, the report has been submitted to law enforcement officers from the Police, the Inspectorate General of Ministry of Finance to other authorized officials.

According to Jonah, after the case of suspicious transactions GaiusTambunan fact that even increases.

"The last that there are 46 suspicious transactions. We have let timeWork Meeting (Meeting) by the House as well, even now manyenhancements,"said Yunus.

KPK Still searching Alleged Irregularities the New Parliament Building Project

Jakarta -Some elements of society have complained of alleged irregularities in the process of planning new building projects the House to the KPK.However, until now there has been no significant results, because the research is still being conducted.
"There is already a (complaint), while we examine. we can not tell whatthe results of analysis of the KPK," said Vice Chairman of the KPK MJasin.

This was after the ceremony he had his discussion titled 'PreventingCorruption in the Trias Politica' that was held by the NGO PartnershipEvents Calendar office, Senayan, Jakarta, Wednesday (20/04/2011).

According to Jasin, who entered the KPK complaints related goodsand services procurement process at the beginning of the project.Alleged to have occurred direct appointment of potentially violatingPresidential Decree No. 80 of 2003 on the procurement of goods andservices.

"His report was so (allegedly direct appointment), has entered and we are studied, " he said.

Jasin can not reveal who the party responsible for the procurementproject. Clearly, there is a Power of Attorney Holder Budget (KPA),which has authority over the project.

"Secretary General of automatic, but there are other NAC such as DGcould be," he added.

Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) is one element of society whocomplain of alleged irregularities to the Commission the constructionof new buildings. There are two ditengari alleged irregularities occur,namely violations of procedure and the process of countingirregularities new building construction.

Complaints filed with the Commission since 13 April 2011.