"Nazaruddin is involved in many problems but the DP punished him only for his mistake in a financial matter. That`s why I say that Nazaruddin`s discharge is a very mild punishment," Permadi, a member of the Advisory Board of the Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), said here on Saturday.
He said Nazaruddin was sacked from his post as the party`s general treasurer only to appease the public and save the party`s image.
Permadi said that Nazaruddin seemed to be an "untouchable" in the party and therefore the party`s Ethics Council only fired him from his post general treasurer.
The impression Nazaruddin was a man of great behind-the-scenes influence in the party was also gained from the fact that he did not attend the event when PD chief patron Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who is also the president, gave directives to party leaders at his Cikeas residence on Wednesday (May 25, 2011).
Permadi said that the Ethics Council (BK) of the House of Representatives (DPR) would neither have the courage to summon Nazaruddin to process his case.
"One of the reasons why I quit the BK is that the BK is no longer a respectable body," said Permadi who is also a former legislator of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP).
He said the BK would not have the courage to process the case of Nazaruddin who is a legislator of the House`s biggest faction in the House of Representatives.
The PD`s Ethics Council fired Nazaruddin as the general treasurer of the ruling party on Monday, two days after the Constitutional Court (MK) chairman, Mahfud MD, reported to Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono that Nazaruddin had tried to give the MK gratification money amounting to S$120 thousand in September 2010.
(Uu.A014/HAJM/F001)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
