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tudents from Riau University’s Students Executive Board (BEM) who rallied at the Riau governor’s office on Friday cheered as they learned that Riau Governor Rusli Zainal was named a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

The students urged the KPK to immediately detain Rusli for the sake of a sense of justice among the community.

Rally coordinator Yopi Pranoto said Rusli’s detention would determine whether or not graft cases in Riau would be addressed.

“He is the most responsible person. The National Games graft case and illegal logging that caused the state to lose hundreds of billions of rupiah have been engineered and the perpetrators have not been detained as of now,” he said.

“If KPK is not bold enough to detain Rusli, its independence should be questioned. Suspects involved in the National Games bribery and illegal logging cases, including former regents have been detained, but not Rusli. Justice must be upheld, irrespective of who they are,” added Yopi.

Yopi and his colleagues urged Rusli to step down from office.

“It’s inappropriate for the province to be led by a suspect,” he said.

The KPK named Rusli a suspect for his role in the deliberation of a provincial ordinance related to the National Games, which was held in Riau in September 2012. A number of witnesses and defendants in the case have implied Rusli’s involvement.

The games were marred with preparation and funding problems. Rusli has also been implicated in a forestry corruption case in Pelalawan regency.