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Riau governor tiptoeing around more trouble
Annas Maamun
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Annas Maamun. wikipedia
Since assuming office in February, Riau Governor Annas Maamun, 74, has had a controversial start to his term.
After allegations of collusion in the appointment of officials and after publicly issuing a string of offensive remarks, Annas has once again become embroiled in another round of trouble.
Wide Wirawati, 38, the daughter of prominent Riau figure Soemardi Thaher, reported Annas to the National Police for sexual assault on Wednesday, but the report was not made public until Sunday.
'I am deeply hurt by his actions. As governor, he should lead by good example and protect the rights of women,' said Soemardi, a former member of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD), on Monday.
Soemardi said Wide was allegedly assaulted by the governor in a room in his private home on Jl. Belimbing, Pekanbaru, Riau, on May 30 when she met Annas to sign a document pertaining to a training project run by the provincial administration.
In the meeting, Annas gave Wide Rp 10 million (US$862) for the project and requested that she see a room in his house that appeared to be empty.
Without suspecting anything, Wide entered the room only to be allegedly assaulted by Annas. According to Soemardi, Annas grabbed Wide's hand and rubbed it on his genitals. Wide reportedly fought back and fled from the house.
'There is this allegation that we're making up the story in order to extort Annas. That's not true. This is for real,' said Soemardi.
As Annas has refused to appear publicly since the police report was released, Riau province spokesman Joserizal Zen has acted on his behalf to deny the allegation.
Joserizal said the incident had never taken place.
'On behalf of Pak Annas, I am here to denounce the slanderous allegation,' said Joserizal.
He also denied that the case had ruined Annas' marriage to Latifah Hanum.
'For Pak Annas, family unity is number one. He has already sworn by holding the Koran before his wife that the incident never happened,' he said.
Joserizal said he suspects the issue was fabricated by the governor's political opponents since it had taken Wide more than three months to report it to the police.
'There is evidence showing Wide made regular visits to Annas after the claimed incident,' he said.
'If she claimed that she had been assaulted, why hadn't she filed a police report right away?'
Joserizal suspected that the case might be linked to the governor's decision to cut spending on several projects that had long been enjoyed by the province's political elites and businessmen.
He also brushed aside concerns that the case would disrupt the governor from doing his job of managing the resource-rich province.
Riau is home to the operation of US energy giant Chevron Corp., which produces almost half of the country's oil output from the area.
The province is also among the world's top palm-oil producers.
As plantations expand, the province is at the center of a cross-border haze problem as slash-and-burn land clearing methods have produced smog that has often blanketed Singapore and some parts of Malaysia.
While Joserizal claimed that the assault case would not disrupt the province's administration, it may still have to be seen whether Annas can survive yet more political turmoil.
Prior to this incident, members of the public had expressed fury upon learning that Annas had appointed his son-in-law Dwi Agus Sumarno as head of the province's education agency and his son Noor Charis Putra as road and bridge section head at the public works agency.
Both had worked less than five years as civil servants and had no credentials for the designated sectors.
Annas, a Golkar Party politician and former Rokan Hilir regent, had also appointed his other son, Erianda, as Rokan Hilir deputy regent after the position had been left vacant for some time.
The Riau Police are currently investigating allegations that Erianda had been using a fake undergraduate diploma to apply for various jobs.
Other incidents plaguing Annas include a string of public verbal attacks he made in the local language against journalists and other officials.
