The Jakarta Globe, November 4, 2013.
As antigraft investigators continue to discover new lines of inquiry in the investigation of former Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar, a dangdut singer from Bandung has emerged with an account that Akil had paid her $80,000 to spice up several of his campaign events in Kalimantan.
“I sang in 17 places — it was one of the biggest gigs I ever had,” Rya Fitria told Indonesian newspaper Kompas. “Akil was a governor candidate; I forgot who was his running mate.”
Kompas said the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Center (PPATK) and the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) had evidence of several Rp 8-10 million transfers to Rya’s bank account up to a total of Rp 900 million.
The singer stressed that there was nothing untoward about the relationship, that it was entirely professional and that she was paid the money one day before each performance.
Rya said that Akil had asked her via an intermediary to perform at a campaign function when he was running in the 2007 West Kalimantan gubernatorial election. This performance led to a further 16 shows, she said.
Akil’s attorney Otto Hasibuan spoke with Akil and confirmed that the former justice had paid several dangdut singers to perform on his campaign trail as a candidate for West Kalimantan governor between 2006 and 2007.
“During the campaign period, he did hire several dangdut singers,” Otto told the Jakarta Globe on Monday. “Up to six singers; not only [Rya], but other singers as well, such as Evie Tamala, Iis Dahlia and others.”
Akil lost the election and in 2008 joined the Constitutional Court. Akil’s lawyer denied, however, that the largesse of Akil’s dangdut war chest extended to Rp 900 million.
“This is not a personal matter,” Otto said. “It’s strictly business. Besides, it all happened during his campaign as a governor candidate, before he joined the Constitutional Court.”
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di 5 nov 2013 - 0:40