Corruption scandal set to rock Indonesia's central bank
Posted: 19 August 2008 1735 hrs

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JAKARTA: Another corruption scandal is set to rock Indonesia's central bank, as well as the country's parliament. New evidence has emerged that lawmakers were paid to elect Ms Miranda Goeltom as the central bank's senior deputy governor in 2004.

A lawmaker has admitted to the Anti-Corruption Commission that he received some US$54,000 in cash, allegedly as a payout for favouring Ms Goeltom over two other candidates for the post.

Some senior central bank officials, including its governor, are currently on trial for making illegal payments to lawmakers amounting to more than US$3 million.

The payout was allegedly made to 52 members of the House Commission to smoothen the passage for a banking bill. Among the alleged recipients are two serving ministers in the current Yudhoyono administration.

Separately, the anti-corruption agency has raided the office of the forestry minister in connection with another corruption case involving the conversion of a mangrove forest in South Sumatra.

The forestry minister is also one of the two implicated in the central bank's corruption case.


- CNA/so