April 25, 2013

Indonesia's Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) prosecutors have accused meat importer PT Indoguna Utama directors Arya Abdi Effendi and Juard Effendi for bribing lawmakers to grant their request for an increased beef import quota.

Prosecutors allege that both Arya and Juard handed over IDR1.3 billion (US$134,000) to former lawmaker and Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) president Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq so he could use his influence with Agriculture Minister Suswono, who is also a PKS member, to grant the company's request for an increased beef import quota.

"Arya Abdi, Juard and Maria Elisabeth Liman announced their intention to give IDR1.3 billion (US$134,000) to Luthfi Hasan," prosecutor M Roem said on Wednesday (Apr 17).

Roem said that both Arya and Juard had convincingly violated the Corruption Eradication Law punishable by up to five years in prison.

According to the prosecutors, the IDR1.3 billion (US$134,000) fee was only part of IDR40 billion (US$4.12 million) that had been promised by PT Indoguna owner Maria Elizabeth Liman. Maria said that she would give Luthfi that amount if the latter succeeded in influencing the minister to grant the company's request for an increase of 8,000 tonnes of beef in its import quota.

Arya and Juard were apprehended as they handed the money to Ahmad Fathanah, Luthfi Hasan's close aide, at their office in Duren Sawit, East Jakarta. They are the first suspects in the case to stand trial.