Lawmakers sanctioned over corruption

JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post) : Deputy chairman of the Honor Council at the House of Representatives, Gayus Lumbuun, said Tuesday the council has imposed sanctions on five lawmakers who allegedly received non-budgetary funds from the Fisheries and Maritime Affairs Ministry.

"We will reprimand two of the lawmakers and submit the dossiers of the other three to the Corruption Eradication Commission for further investigation," Gayus told reporters.

"The Honor Council unanimously agreed on the (imposed) sanctions. We will not uncover their names or their respective factions as regulated in the House's statutes," he said, referring to a council meeting held Monday evening.

However, media reports have identified the five lawmakers as Slamet Effendi Yusuf and Awal Kusumah of the Golkar Party faction, Endin A.J. Soefihara of the United Development Party faction, Fachri Hamzah of the Prosperous Justice Party faction and A.M. Fatwa of the National Mandate Party faction.

Gayus said, however, that the sanctions on the five lawmakers were only the beginning as 39 other legislators are alleged to have illegally received ministry funds under incumbent Minister Freddy Numberi.