THE meeting at the executive lounge in the Mulia Hotel, Central Jakarta, took place at the end of 2003. Nyat Kadir, at that time Mayor of Batam, came at Setya Novantos invitation.

Novanto had been fervently waiting for the meeting. The politician who at that time was Golkars deputy treasurer was eager to invest in Batam. In partnership with Irawan Darsono, a businessman residing in Singapore, they wanted to develop a grouper fish farm and high-te