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KPK zeroes in on Gov Atut, mayor Airin
Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah and South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany could be next in line to be charged with graft after Atutâs brother Tubagus Chaeri âWawanâ Wardana, who is also Airinâs husband, was named a suspect in a graft case surrounding the procurement of medical equipment in South Tangerang
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anten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah and South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany could be next in line to be charged with graft after Atut's brother Tubagus Chaeri 'Wawan' Wardana, who is also Airin's husband, was named a suspect in a graft case surrounding the procurement of medical equipment in South Tangerang.
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) commissioner Adnan Pandu Praja said on Wednesday that the antigraft body was currently looking into the possible involvement of Atut and Airin in the case. 'We are now digging deeper into [Airin's role],' he told The Jakarta Post. 'Evidence linked to Atut is also being investigated [by us].'
Another KPK commissioner, Busyro Muqoddas, meanwhile, said that both Airin and Atut could have played a role in the case as there was usually more than one actor involved in a graft case. 'There's a chance that anyone could be dragged [into the case] because graft is systemic,' he told the Post.
Busyro added that Airin and Atut could be named suspects, should the KPK garner enough evidence.
Wawan was named suspect in the health project graft case on Tuesday. He is suspected of violating Article 2 of Law No. 31/1999 on corruption, KPK spokesperson Johan Budi told a press conference at the KPK's headquarters in Kuningan, South Jakarta.
Johan added that the KPK suspected that there was a budget markup in the procurement project worth Rp 23 billion (US$1.98 million).
The KPK started investigating the alleged corruption within the procurement project shortly after it named Wawan suspect in a bribery case implicating former Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar.
Besides Wawan, the KPK also named two other suspects, identified as Dadang Priyatna from PT Mikindo Adiguna Pratama and Mamak Jamaksari, an official at the South Tangerang's health agency.
Johan said that the KPK would summon Airin for questioning if it needed information from her as the policy maker in the administration.
In relation to the case, the KPK searched some locations on Tuesday.
According to Johan, the KPK searched the South Tangerang regional hospital, the regency's health agency and the office of regency's Electronic Goods and Services Procurement System (LPSE).
In response to the new allegation, Wawan's lawyer Pia Akbar Nasution said that she had not prepared any legal move toward the new charge as it depended on her client.
She added that Airin had known about Wawan's status as a new suspect in the case. 'She's the one who told [me],' Pia said.
Besides investigating the Health project graft case, the KPK is also probing the bribery case implicating Wawan and Akil.
Wawan has been accused of bribing Akil, who was also charged with money laundering, to rule in favor of Lebak deputy regent, Amir Hamzah, in an election dispute case at the court. On Tuesday, the KPK seized two houses, a piece of land and one Toyota Fortuner car in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, in relation to Akil's money laundering case.
Besides the houses and the car, the KPK had blocked Akil's bank accounts, totaling Rp 109 billion, as well as seizing three luxury cars: a Mercedes Benz S350, an Audi Quattro 5 and a Toyota Crown Athlete from Akil's private residence in Pancoran, South Jakarta.
KPK investigators have also seized Rp 2 billion worth of securities suspected of originating from money laundering activities, along with Rp 2.7 billion in cash from Akil's house at the Widya Chandra housing complex in Kuningan, South Jakarta.
