•    HOME   
•    NEWS   
•    BUSINESS   
•    INTERNATIONAL   
•    TECH   
•    SPORTS   
•    LIFE & TIMES   
•    OPINION   
•    MY JAKARTA   
•    BLOGS   
•    EYEWITNESS   

Indonesian legislators Angelina Sondakh and Wayan Koster have been slapped with international travel bans as the painfully slow investigation into the Southeast Asian Games corruption scandal continues.

Deputy Justice and Human Rights Minister Denny Indrayana confirmed the Immigration Department had issued the ban on Friday after a request from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

The KPK, which has faced criticism for the slow pace of the investigation that centers on the ruling Democratic Party headed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has previously said it would use information gleaned during the trial of former party treasurer Muhammad Nazaruddin to go after other possible suspects in the case.

Yulianis, a former vice director of Nazaruddin’s Permai Group, has testified that Nazaruddin had channeled a total of $1.1 million to lawmakers in connection with the athletes’ village project in April 2010.

Wayan Koster, a member of the House of Representatives budget committee from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), allegedly accepted a Rp 3 billion “fee,” while another Rp 2 billion went to Angelina Sondakh, a committee member from the Democratic Party.

Another key witness, Mindo Rosalina Manulang, has testified that Angelina had requested that money be given to members of the committee.

Democrat chairman Anas Urbaningrum has also repeatedly been accused in court of involvement in the corruption scandal, but there was no word yet on whether the KPK would seek a travel ban on him as well.

Nazaruddin is accused of receiving Rp 4.3 billion in kickbacks in relation to the construction of the athletes’ village.

Rosa, a former manager of Anak Negeri, a company owned by Nazaruddin, has been sentenced for 2.5 years for acting as a broker in the case.