Company distributed Rp 16 b to lawmakers: Witness

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Wed, 08/10/2011 9:30 PM

An employee of Muhammad Nazaruddin’s company testified that she distributed Rp 16 billion (US$1.87 million) to members of the House of Representatives to secure the athlete’s village development project for his company.

The testimony was given by Yulianis, deputy financial director of Permai Group, mother company of Nazaruddin’s business, before the Corruption Court on Wednesday.

She was presented as a witness for defendant Mindo Rosa Manulang, a marketing director of PT Anak Negeri, sa ubsidiary of Permai Group.

Rosa allegedly helped fix a bid to secure a contract for PT Duta Graha Indah (DGI) in a project commissioned by the Youth and Sports Affairs Ministry.

She was arrested red-handed along with the ministry’s secretary Wafid Muharam and marketing manager of PT DGI Mohammad El Idris when handing over bribes.

Yulianis said the money was distributed in several phases during April to September 2010. She said she disbursed US$1.1 million, Rp 3 billion and Rp 500 million to Wafid, Rp 150 to a person identified as Paulus, another Rp 50 million to Wafid, Rp 100 million for South Sumatra Public Works Agency and Rp 150 million to a person identified as Wesler.

She could not recall the other recipients.

British lawmakers told off for tweeting in Commons

The Associated Press, London | Thu, 01/20/2011 12:30 PM | World

No tweeting in the House, please.

The deputy speaker of Britain's House of Commons has asked lawmakers not to use Twitter while sitting in the chamber. Lindsay Hoyle intervened after Kevin Brennan, a Labour lawmaker, noted midway through a debate on education that two other lawmakers there were tweeting about the debate on Twitter.

Brennan complained the lawmakers should have voiced their arguments in Parliament so other lawmakers could have a chance to rebut them, instead of making comments online.

Hoyle warned Wednesday that lawmakers should not use Twitter to update followers while they sit in the Commons.