KPK Questions Chairman Of House Representatives

Jakarta, Oct 22 (Antara) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Tuesday will question Chairman of the House of Representatives and member of ruling Democrat party Marzuki Alie over allegations that his party financed its 2010 National Congress with bribes. Marzuki, during the 2010 national congress, was a candidate for the party`s chairman position, but he lost to Anas Urbaningrum. The bribe money in question was said to have come from different government projects including the construction of the Hambalang sports center in West Java Province, which saw former Democrat party Chairman Anas Urbaningrum being officially named as a suspect by the KPK last February. Although Anas has not yet been arrested, this investigation did result in the arrest of former Youth and Sports Affairs minister Andi Malaranggeng in KPK`s detention center. "I never knew about the Hambalang project. I also do not know anything about the flow of funds to the national congress in 2010," said Marzuki. Apart from Marzuki, the KPK has also scheduled summons for two staff members at the Democrat Party`s Secretariat office: Eva Ompita Soraya and Iwan Hadiwaluyo. In the alleged corruption case involving the Hambalang sports complex development, Anas was named a suspect on February 22, 2013, on charges of violating Article 12, Letters A or B, or Article 11 of Law No. 31/1999, as already amended by Law No. 20/2001 on state officials who accept bribes or gratifications. These crimes are punishable by a life sentence or a jail term of 4-20 years and a fine of Rp200 million to Rp1 billion. Anas was among those charged with having received a Toyota Harrier, which was confiscated by the KPK in March 2013 and later entrusted to its previous owner. KPK Chairman Abraham Samad said the detention and examination of the Hambalang suspects was being carried out according to the dates on which they were named as suspects. In the Hambalang corruption case, the KPK has named three suspects, including former Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Andi Mallarangeng in his capacity as a user of the funds; former Planning Bureau Chief of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Affairs Deddy Kusdinar, who was the planning officer when the Hambalang project was implemented; and former Operations Director 1 of PT Adhi Karya, Teuku Bagus Mukhamad Noor.