Maki urges KPK to take over 9 regional graft cases from AGO

Anti-graft activists from the Indonesia Anti-Corruption Community (Maki) urged the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to take over nine corruption cases from the Attorney General’s Office (AGO).

The nine corruption cases that allegedly involve regional leaders are South Ogan Komering Ulu Regent Muhtaddin Sera’I (South Sumatra), Batang Regent Bambang Bintoro (Central Java), Bulungan Regent Budiman Arifin (East Kalimantan), Medan Mayor Rahudman Harahap (North Sumatra), Kolaka Regent Buhari Matta (South East Sulawesi), East Kalimantan Governor Awang Farouk Ishak, South Kalimantan Governor Rudi Arifin, Purwakarta Deputy Regent Dudung B Supari (Central Java), and Mentawai Island Regent Edison Seleleobaja (West Sumatra).

Maki coordinator Bonyamin Saiman said the AGO would not be able to settle the case due to political pressure.

Junior attorney general for special crime Andhi Nirwanto has said his office had yet to ask for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s consent to question the suspects.

He said the AGO must submit their account’s of state losses calculated by the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP) when it asked permission from the President to question the suspects.

“The calculation of state losses hasn’t finished yet,” said Andhi as quoted by tempointeraktif.com on Sunday.

However, Boyamin said the AGO claim about the state loses calculation was misleading. “The AGO is just not serious in handling the cases.”

He added submitting the permit was merely an administrative matter and the AGO could question the suspects 60 days after it was proposed.“Even though the President did not respond to it,” he said.

The KPK would be better suited to probe the case because it did not need permission from the President if it wanted to question state officials.