Hambalang: Democratic Chairman Anas Remains Tight-Lipped on KPK Questioning

Ezra Sihite

Democratic Party chairman Anas Urbaningrum remained tight-lipped on Monday over the prospect of being questioned a third time in relation to bid-rigging in the Rp 2.5 trillion ($265 million) Hambalang sports center project.

Anas, who has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing in the case, refused to answer questions from reporters at an event in Senayan, South Jakarta, about the implications of yet another grilling by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

“Yes, I’ve been summoned, but by Metro TV,” he joked as he left Senayan to go do an interview at Metro TV in West Jakarta. “I’m being examined by Metro.”

The chairman of the country’s ruling party has already been questioned twice this month in relation to bid-rigging allegations centered on the Hambalang sports center in Bogor.

The first time, the KPK held him for seven hours, and the second time for 10 hours. Antigraft officials have also questioned several of his staffers about claims that Anas took tens of billions of rupiah in kickbacks for steering the Hambalang contract to state construction firm Adhi Karya.

Abraham Samad, the KPK chairman, said his office would call Anas in for another round of questioning soon.

He said further questioning was needed in order for the KPK to make a final decision on whether to name Anas a suspect in the case.

Although he did not give a specific date, Abraham said the decision would likely be made before the Idul Fitri holiday that marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. Idul Fitri this year is expected to fall on Aug. 19 or 20.

Anas has been repeatedly linked to the Hambalang project by Muhammad Nazaruddin, the former Democratic treasurer who was earlier this year convicted in a similar bid-rigging case centered on the construction of the athletes’ village for last year’s Southeast Asian Games.

He claimed that Anas, through a string of shell companies, received a Rp 100 billion kickback from Adhi Karya, which he used to successfully bankroll his bid for the Democratic chairmanship.

The KPK is also looking into a new allegation that Anas received a Toyota Harrier SUV as part of the payoff.