That Tender Trap Does It Again

The disclosure of a bribe paid to House of Representatives (DPR) member Damayanti Wisnu Putranti should not be taken lightly. Political parties must put their houses in order so their members refrain from continuously being trapped in the same quagmire that ultimately land them in jail.

The scandal involving the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician is very similar to the one involving Democrat Party politicians M. Nazaruddin and Angelina Sondakh five years ago. The method was to take control of a government project, collude with businesspeople and then ask for a fee. Damayanti, who was detained by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in January, allegedly asked for around Rp3.28 billion, or 8 percent of the project value. The money was paid by Sindhu Tunggal Utama Managing Director Abdul Khoir, who sought to win an infrastructure project in Maluku.