Antigraft body arrests Bekasi municipal secretary

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has arrested Bekasi Municipal secretary Tjandra Utama Effendi over his possible role in a graft case involving the West Java Supreme Audit Agency (BPK).

Tjandra, who was named a suspect last Thursday, was under investigation for almost 10 hours before being detained at the National Police’s general crimes unit detention center, KPK spokesman Johan Budi SP said Thursday.

“[Tjandra’s] arrest is the next step in our investigation,” he said as quoted by tempointeraktif.com.

So far, KPK has also declared the agency sub-directorate head Suharto, auditor Enang Hermawan and Bekasi municipal officers Herry Suparjan and Heri Lukman suspects in the case.

Last month, KPK investigators arrested Suharto at his home in Bandung after he allegedly accepted Rp 200 million (US$22,200) from Herry and Heri. A bag containing Rp 200 million in cash was found at the house during the raid.

The commission suspected the Bekasi municipality had bribed Suharto so the latter would approve their financial report with an unqualified opinion.