SEA Games Trial: Sports Ministry Official Faces Up to 20 Years in Jail

Jakarta Globe, Ulma Haryanto, September 08, 2011

The Suspended Secretary to the Minister of Youth and Sports, Wafid Muharam,
 during the first day of his trial at the Corruption Court in Jakarta on Wednesday.
 Bribery charges against Wafid see him facing a maximum of 20 years in jail.
(JG Photo/ Yudhi Sukma Wijaya) 

  

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The bribery trial of the suspended secretary of the Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry opened on Wednesday, in what is likely to be just the first in a string of high-profile prosecutions in a corruption case linked to Muhammad Nazaruddin.

Wafid Muharram was on Wednesday indicted on charges of accepting a Rp 3.2 billion ($374,000) bribe in connection with a contract to build an athletes’ village in Palembang for the Southeast Asian Games in November.

The choice of charge means he could face a maximum of up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

He is the first official to face charges in a case that has already brought down Nazaruddin, the former treasurer of the ruling Democratic Party, and is threatening to derail the careers of more politicians and officials.

In Wednesday’s opening session, prosecutors said Wafid had demanded a payoff from Duta Graha Indah, a construction company owned by Nazaruddin, for helping it win the contract for the athletes’ village.

Wafid was arrested in April, along with DGI’s marketing director, Muhammad El Idris, and Mindo Rosalina Manulang, who allegedly brokered business deals on behalf of Nazaruddin.

In separate trials on Wednesday, prosecutors demanded a four-year jail sentence and Rp 200 million fine for Rosalina, and a 42-month jail sentence and Rp 150 million fine for Idris.

In Wafid’s trial, Agus Salim, a prosecutor, told the Anti-Corruption Court in Jakarta, “The defendant knew the checks were given in relation to his effort in helping DGI win the project.”

Wafid had authority to issue and sign a decree on the construction of the athletes’ village and to disburse the funds for it. He signed a decree allocating Rp 200 billion from the ministry’s budget to the South Sumatra committee overseeing the construction, and DGI was announced the winner of the contract, valued at Rp 192 billion.

When testifying in the trials of Rosalina and Idris, Wafid insisted that the Rp 3.2 billion he is accused of taking as a bribe was a soft loan to the ministry and that such loans were normal.

Wafid has also said that he had asked Rosalina for Rp 6 billion to cover various operational expenses around March, because at the time state funds for the project had not yet been disbursed.

“I borrowed Rp 1 billion from Rosa in 2010 and paid it back via Paul Nelwan,” Wafid said, referring to one of several businessmen mentioned by Rosalina and Wafid as having close ties to the Sports and Youth Affairs Ministry.

Wafid’s lawyer, Erman Umar, said after the hearing that his client would appreciate some support from sports minister Andi Mallarangeng since he had put his neck out for the minister.

“Andi has never visited him in the detention center. He sent his aide once, to ask how Wafid was doing,” Erman said. “[Wafid] was trying to protect the minister from losing face, that’s why he was always looking out for loans to pay for the ministry’s various programs when state funds had not yet been disbursed.”