They are among 24 former legislators accused of receiving traveler’s checks in return for supporting Miranda and named suspects by the KPK last September.

“Five of the suspects failed to appear because of health reasons,” KPK spokesman Johan Budi said. One of the suspects, Golkar’s Antony Zeidra Abidin, is serving a prison sentence for another graft case.

Former Golkar legislator and minister Paskah Suzetta was visibly enraged as he walked toward a KPK car, shouting at journalists, “This is not a legal process. This is political. I will fight back with politics.”

Senior PDI-P politician and legislator Panda Nababan was detained by KPK officers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport while waiting for his flight to Batam to attend the party’s national executive meeting.

Panda was among the legislators who voted for Busyro Muqoddas as new KPK chairman last year.

Two of the female suspects were taken to the Pondok Bambu Women’s Prison while the men are being held at Cipinang Penitentiary in Salemba and the Jakarta Police detention centers.

The detention of the 19 high-profile politicians is the KPK’s first major bust under Busyro’s leadership, and takes place at a time of escalating political tension at the House of Representatives over plans to establish an inquiry committee to probe corruption at the tax office.

The House is split over the issue, with President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democratic Party and two other ruling coalition parties saying they would not support the move, while Golkar, a coalition partner, joined in with the opposition to push for the inquiry.

When asked if the inquiry would be one of his “tools” to fight back, Paskah proclaimed, “I am a former minister. I know their secrets!”

Johan denied the KPK’s move was politically motivated.

Also on Friday, the Judicial Commission announced it had turned down Panda’s complaint against Corruption Court judges.

“We will not follow up the complaint because we did not find any ethical violations committed by the judges,” commission spokesman Asep Rahmat Fajar said.

Panda had reported the judges over testimony at a trial hearing that he had accepted a Rp 500 million (US$55,600)  bribe.

Previously, the Corruption Court found four former legislators — PDI-P’s Dudhie Makmun Murod, Golkar’s Hamka Yandhu, PPP’s Endin AJ Soefihara and Udju Juhaeri from the military/police wing — guilty in the same case. Their sentences ranged from one to 2.5 years in prison.

Whistle-blower Agus Condro Prayitno of the PDI-P was also among the suspects detained Friday.

Detained suspects

1. Ahmad Hafiz Zamawi (Golkar, Rp 600m)

2. Marthin Bria Seran (Golkar, Rp 250m)

3. Paskah Suzetta (Golkar, Rp 600m)

4. TM Nurlif (Golkar, Rp 550m)

5. Asep Ruchimat Sudjana (Golkar, Rp 150m)

6. Reza Kamarulla (Golkar, Rp 500m)

7. Baharuddin Aritonang (Golkar, Rp 350m)

8. Agus Condro Prayitno (PDI-P, Rp 500m)

9. Max Moein (PDI-P, Rp 500m)

10. Poltak Sitorus (PDI-P, Rp 500m)

11. Panda Nababan (PDI-P, Rp 1.4b)

12. Engelina Pattiasina (PDI-P, Rp 500m)

13. Muhammad Iqbal (PDI-P, Rp 500m)

14. Ni Luh Mariani T (PDI-P, Rp 500m)

15. Sutanto Pranoto (PDI-P, Rp 600m)

16. Soewarno (PDI-P, Rp 500m)

17. Mathoes Pormes (PDI-P, Rp 350m)

18. Sofyan Usman (PPP, Rp 250m)

19. Danial Tanjung (PPP, Rp 500m)

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