Riau governor named suspect in two graft cases

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) named Riau Governor Rusli Zainal a suspect in two separate graft cases on Friday.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi announced that Rusli had been accused of bribing a group of local councilors, through Riau Sports and Youth Agency head Lukman Abbas, in an attempt to expedite the revision of a bylaw that increased the budget for the construction of the 2012 National Games (PON) venues in Riau.

Johan added that Rusli had also been accused of accepting a bribe from a private company that benefited from the bylaw. Previously, seven local councilors were arrested in connection with the case. KPK investigators also confiscated Rp 900 million (U$94,000) as evidence of the bribe.

“Rusli is accused of violating the Corruption Law and the Criminal Code and is therefore liable to more than five years in prison if found guilty at court,” he said.

Johan went on to say that besides the PON graft scandal, Rusli, who is a Golkar Party central board executive, was also named a suspect in a forest graft case in Pelalawan regency.

Rusli is suspected of abusing his authority to approve annual work plans of a number of private companies that operate in Pelalawan. Two former regents, then Pelalawan regent Tengku Azmun Jafar and then Siak regent Arwin AS, are serving time in connection with the case.