ARDIANSYAH hurried to meet his boss, Raja Muchsin, head of the treasury of Batam City, Riau Islands. The financial section staffer was under orders to buy traveler's checks from Bank Mandiri. He picked up the cash in a black plastic bag from Erwinta Marius, head of the city's Financial Verification Subsection. It was the morning of July 3, 2007.

Ardiansyah did not look inside the bag. He only asked about the checks he was to purchase. "Please buy che