T

he Central Kalimantan Police have arrested six Seruyan regency legislators for allegedly accepting Rp 2.08 billion (US$171,052) in bribes from a businessman.

Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, National Police spokesperson Sr. Comr. Agus Rianto said that the legislators was caught red-handed accepting the bribes at Jl. Tambak, Sungai Undang village, Seruyan Ilir district, on Monday.

'€œEight suspects have been arrested. Two of them are business associates, identified only as M and Y. The others are legislators identified by the initials AS, HB, TS, BUD, HS and EA,'€ Agus said at National Police headquarters in South Jakarta.

Several online news outlets have named AS and HB as the head of Seruyan Legislative Council, Akhmad Sudarji, and his deputy, H. Baharuddin. It has also been reported that the police found the money in 26 envelopes.

Agus said that M, with the help of Y, paid the bribes to the legislators in return for helping his company to win construction projects.

Previously, he added, the Seruyan Legislative Council had allocated Rp 12.1 billion to a company identified only as PT. PNP and further funds to PT. WS to construct roads and an overpass in Persil, Seruyan.