- Antara/ Widodo S Jusuf
VIVAnews – A senior politician from the United Development Party (PPP), Irgan Chairul Mahfiz, was brought up during the trial of alleged corruption in the allocation of the Regional Infrastructure Adjustment Fund (DPID). The defendant was former member of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives (DPR) from National Mandate Party (PAN) faction, Wa Ode Nurhayati.
When contacted by VIVAnews on Wednesday, Irgan denied his involvement with a businessman as well as Chairman of MKGR’s Youth Generation (Gema), Fahd Arafiq.
“I don’t even know the person. How could I possibly ever meet him?” said Irgan.
“I had never managed such funds. It’s the work of the Budget Committee.”
Last Tuesday, the Anticorruption Court presented two witnesses in the case: Chairman of MKGR’s Youth Generation (Gema), Fahd Arafiq, and Wa Ode’s personal staff, Sefa Yolanda.
In the statement made by Fahd, Haris Surahman had proposed other politicians for handling DPID allocation in three three regencies of Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam prior to handing over the matter to Wa Ode.
Fahd told judges that Harris had suggested him to manage the allocation of the fund before October 2010.
Fahd, who has been named a suspect of the case by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), then contacted the three regents of the Aceh Besar Regency, Pidie Jaya Regency, and Bener Meriah Regency and met them in two different places.
"I told them I could manage the regional transfer fund,” said Fahd.
In pursuit of passing the fund’s project budget, Fahd needed “a hand” from a member of the DPR Budget Committee. Fahd admitted that Haris had offered the senior politician from PPP, Irgan Chairul Mahfiz, to manage the fund’s allocation in the three regencies.
“Haris said Mr. Irgan from PPP was powerful,” said Fahd.
However, the plan failed as Haris chose Wa Ode Nurhayati to help pass the fund’s allocation in 2011.
