T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) completed on Tuesday the case dossier of Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah, who was accused of bribing former Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar to rig the 2013 Lebak election.

'€œToday KPK investigators wrapped their investigation into the Lebak case. So, soon my client will stand trial,'€ Atut'€™s lawyer, Tubagus Sukatma, told reporters at KPK headquarters on Tuesday.

The trial would commence in the first week of May, he added.

Atut, the country'€™s first female governor, has been subject to controversy following allegations that she had built a political dynasty in the province, with members of her family filling strategic political posts there.

Atut'€™s case has also implicated her brother, Tubagus Chaeri '€œWawan'€ Wardana, who is also the husband of South Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmi Diany,

He is known to live large, collecting luxury cars and also giving them as gifts to politicians and female celebrities. The KPK has charged him with money laundering.

Wawan and Atut have also been accused of being involved in two separate graft cases centering on the procurement of medical equipment for the South Tangerang regency and Banten province administrations.

KPK spokesman Johan Budi said on Tuesday that investigators were still working on Atut'€™s dossier in the Banten administration case.

In February, KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto hinted that Atut could be charged with money laundering if investigators found that she had laundered the money from the Banten administration, adding that KPK investigators were still collecting information on Atut'€™s wealth.

In mid-February, Atut came into the spotlight after media reports revealed that Atut owned two islands in Banten.

The two islands in question are Liwungan and Popole, off the coast of Banten and are part of Panimbang and Labuan subdistricts, respectively, both in Pandeglang regency.

In relation to Wawan'€™s money laundering, the KPK recently discovered more than 100 plots of land and buildings allegedly controlled by the most politically wired Banten businessman.

Previously, the KPK also has confiscated around 77 vehicles '€” ranging from luxury brands such as Lamborghini, Ferrari, Bentley and Rolls Royce to trucks and buses '€” in relation to Wawan'€™s money laundering.

Johan said that KPK investigators were also still working on the dossiers of Wawan on the procurement of medical equipment for the South Tangerang regency and Banten province administrations as well as his money laundering case.

Local activists in Banten have criticized the lavish lifestyle of Atut'€™s family, a stark contrast to the reality of people living in some regions in the province, which continues to lag behind other provinces in spite of its proximity to the capital.

Despite an annual budget of nearly Rp 6 trillion (US$525 million), the Banten administration has failed to develop infrastructure or a poverty-reduction program, placing Pandeglang, Lebak and Serang among the most disadvantaged regions.

According to data from the Disadvantaged Regions Ministry, Pandeglang and Lebak are among the 183 disadvantaged regions listed by the ministry. Lebak has a population of 1.27 million, 579,373 of which are classified as poor.

Many of Lebak'€™s residents barely finished elementary school before moving to major cities, such as
Jakarta and Bandung, to be domestic workers.