As A Witness, The Ex-Buapti Of Central Lampung Calls Azis Syamsuddin Asking For 8 Percent Fee

Azis Syamsuddin/ Antara

JAKARTA - The former regent of Central Lampung (Lamteng) Mustafa, said that the former deputy chairman of the DPR from the Golkar Party faction, Azis Syamsuddin, had asked for an 8 percent "fee" for the administration of the Special Allocation Fund (DAK).

"Yes, there is an obligation to take care of DAK, it requires a budget. I don't know (the language) is a 'commitment fee' or not, but the discussion of the total approved which is the responsibility of the district government is about 8 percent," Mustafa said via video conference link from Sukamiskin Prison. Bandung, reported by Antara, Thursday, December 30.

Mustafa was a witness for the defendant, former Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives Muhammad Azis Syamsuddin, who was charged with giving bribes worth Rp. 3,099 billion and US$ 36,000 for a total of around Rp. 3,619 billion to Stepanus Robin Pattuju (KPK investigator at the time) and advocate Maskur Husain related to the management an investigation by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Central Lampung, whose trial took place at the Jakarta Corruption Court (Tipikor).

Mustafa is currently serving a 4-year sentence in the case of accepting bribes and gratification of projects at the Central Lampung Highways Service and 3 years in prison for the bribery case to several members of the Lamteng DPRD.

"I don't know how much the 8 percent value is, because it's technically not me anymore, but the Head of the Public Works Agency, Pak Taufik," said Mustafa.

Mustafa said he had visited Azis Syamsuddin's house in Pondok Indah, Jakarta with the chairman of the Central Lampung DPRD, Junaidi, in 2017 to ask for help regarding the disbursement of Central Lampung's DAK.

"I conveyed to Mr. Azis who happened to be the chairman of the DPR Banggar, 'Bang, I came at the request of the community because all the roads in Central Lampung are damaged, I ask for help because it is my brother's territory, then the defendant said, 'Yes, there is no problem, later we will be helped,'" said Mustafa.

Mustafa then said that after Azis agreed to help Central Lampung DAK, Azis then ordered Mustafa to communicate with an Azis person named Jarwo.

"At that time there was a discussion about what our responsibilities were from the Central Lampung government and we were asked to contact Jarwo. I once met Jarwo, he is the head of volunteer Azis Syamsuddin and also a Central Lampung person," said Mustafa.

Mustafa revealed that he was not given Jarwo's phone number, so he asked the Head of the Lamteng Highways Office, Taufik Rahman, to find Jarwo and prepare a proposal for the Lamteng DAK.

"I ordered Taufik to make the maximum DAK value, because many roads in Central Lampung were damaged but I forget the amount, the Head of the Service knows but it is rather large," said Mustafa. Later Mustafa received a report from Taufik Rahman that the "fee" The amount given by Taufik reached 10 percent of the DAK disbursed for Central Lampung.

"Because of the incident, I was also running for governor, then when I was caught there were notes from Taufik Rahman and I just found out that in total about 10 percent of the DAK that came out was only Rp. 25 billion, what was proposed was actually quite large, around Rp. 100 billion or how much," said Mustafa again.

Mustafa also said that he received a report from Taufik that the "fee" had been handed over to Aliza Gunado and Jarwo.

On Mustafa's statement, Azis Syamsuddin denied it.

"As far as I remember the witness came to my house in Bandar Lampung on Way Halim, at my Nyai's house, not at Pondok Indah. He has also come several times, including to ask for a recommendation to run for governor," said Azis Syamsuddin as well.