R

iau Islands Governor Muhammad Sani asked reporters to stop asking him to comment on graft allegations involving his youngest son, Hery Ardianto, and Suhajar Diantoro, the rector of the Institute of Public Administration (IPDN).

'€œWhat are you talking about? Just talk about reality,'€ he said with a high tone on the sidelines of a telecommunications event in Batam, Riau Islands, on Friday.

He left when asked about his administration'€™s actions against his son, who is also the economic division head of the provincial Development Planning Board (Bappeda).

'€œThat'€™s enough. No more talk about that,'€ Sani said, hurrying to his Toyota Alphard car.

In 2012, Sani sparked criticism after appointing Azirwan to lead the provincial maritime resources and fisheries office, agreeing to remove the graft convict after receiving a call from then home minister Gamawan Fauzi.

Last Sunday, Andi Cori Fatahuddin, a businessman and politician from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P), told media in Tanjung Pinang city that
he allegedly attempted to bribe Suhajar with US$10,000 in August so his son could pass the IPDN selection test.

He alleged that he gave a check for Rp 95 million to Sani'€™s son, who he hoped would push Suhajar to accept his son in the school.

A reputed hotbed of student violence, IPDN, managed by the Home Ministry, remains a favorite of those wanting to pursue careers as high-ranking civil servants.

Andi said he had four witnesses in the case involving Suhajar and evidence of the Rp 95 million given to the governor'€™s son.

He previously said his son had not enrolled in IPDN as the enrollment committee admitted it was monitored by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

'€œIf that'€™s the case, then I want my money back,'€ he said, adding that he planned to report the case to the National Police since the transaction took place in Jakarta.

Suhajar, previously Riau Islands provincial administration secretary, did not respond to phone calls and text messages asking for comment.

Earlier, Home Ministry spokesperson Dodi Riyatmadji told The Jakarta Post that his office would investigate the allegations.

'€œI will check the information. I don'€™t know about the report and information regarding the case,'€ Dodi said.

Meanwhile, anticorruption activist Novrizal Sadewa urged law enforcement personnel in the province to investigate.

Their active participation in the case, he said, was urgent to reveal the truth and to make future admission tests at IPDN free from corruption, collusion and nepotism.

'€œLaw enforcers must do something so that the parties involved can be made accountable,'€ said Nov-rizal, adding that the case indicated that corruption was still rampant.