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Riau governor investigated for money laundering

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is investigating whether Riau Governor Rusli Zainal has been involved in money laundering

Hans Nicholas Jong (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Sun, July 7, 2013

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Riau governor investigated for money laundering

T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) is investigating whether Riau Governor Rusli Zainal has been involved in money laundering.

KPK commissioner Bambang Widjojanto said that the antigraft body was probing whether Rusli, who has been named a suspect of bribery and of forestry license
violations, could also be charged under articles 3, 5 or 6 of the 2010 Money Laundering Law.

'€œBut we can'€™t say that he has been involved in money laundering yet. We will check whether there is any indication of money laundering first,'€ he announced at KPK headquarters late Friday.

Rusli has been declared a suspect in connection to the National Games (PON) in Riau and the issuance of forestry permits.

In the PON case, he is alleged to have bribed a group of local councilors through Riau Sports and Youth Agency head Lukman Abbas in an attempt to expedite the revision of a bylaw on increasing the construction budget for the PON venues in Riau. He also allegedly accepted a bribe from a private company that benefited from the bylaw.

The Golkar Party central board executive is also 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 operating in Pelalawan from 2001 to 2006.

The antigraft body has summoned his wives as an initial probe into possible money laundering.

Rusli'€™s first wife, Septina Primawati Rusli, who is currently running for the Riau Legislative Council, was questioned by the KPK for seven hours , while his second wife, Syarifah Darmiati Aida, was grilled for eight hours on Thursday.

The KPK has also confiscated three cars allegedly related to Rusli. The first two cars, a Honda Freed and a Honda Accord, were registered under Syarifah'€™s name, while the third one, a Honda Jazz, was registered under someone else'€™s name, according to KPK spokesman Johan Budi.

Bambang said that the antigraft body had traced Rusli'€™s assets, but insisted there was not enough evidence as yet to charge him with money laundering.

He added that the seizure of the cars was not necessarily related to money laundering.

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