"When he nominated himself, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said he was ready to be in the front line in fighting corruption but this has turned out to be an empty promise because a corruption case now proves to have happened within the president`s inner circles. This means that the reforms message is not being met," Din Syamsuddin said here on Saturday.
On the sidelines of the inauguration of a Muhammadiyah elementary school building, Din Syamsuddin mentioned the involvement of Nazaruddin in a alleged bribery case in the Constitutional Court (MK).
"The involvement of Nazaruddin who is an executive of the ruling party and is a close aide to the president proves that the efforts to fight corruption, collusion and nepotims have failed," he said.
Nazaruddin was mentioned as having involved in an alleged bribery case in the construction of a SEA Games athlete house in Palembang, South Sumatra.
On April 21, 2011, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) arrested Wafid Muharram, secretary to the minister for youth and sports affairs at his office.
When arrested, Wafid was receiving Marketing Director of PT Anak Negeri, Mindo Rosalina Manulang, and Marketing Director of PT Duata Graha Indah, Muhammad El Idris. The KPK officers found a check amounting to Rp3.2 billion in his office.
Rosalina Manulang claimed she was a subordinate of Muhammad Nazaruddin, general treasurer of the Democrat Party, though a week later, Rosalina changed her statement, saying she did not know Nazaruddin.
Besides, Nazaruddin was accused of having tried to give gratification money in two envelopes (each containing 60 thousand Singapore dollars) to MK secretary general Janedjri M Gaffar, in a hotel in September 2010.
The PD`s Ethics Council fired Nazaruddin as the general treasurer of the ruling party on Monday, two days after the Constitutional Court (MK) chairman, Mahfud MD, reported to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that Nazaruddin had tried to give the MK gratification money amounting to S$120 thousand in September 2010.
(Uu.A014/HAJM)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
