The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) declared on Tuesday National Police chief hopeful Comr. Gen. Budi Gunawan, whose candidacy has been challenged by antigraft activists, a graft suspect just one day before the House of Representatives holds a confirmation hearing for his nomination.

KPK chairman Abraham Samad said that his office, which began investigating the alleged ill-gotten funds worth Rp 54 billion (US$4.28 million) detected in 2010 by the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) in the bank accounts of the police general in July 2014, had evidence that the money might be related to criminal offenses such as bribes and gratuities.

Budi, who is currently National Police Educational Division chief, has been charged under Article 12 of the 1999 Corruption Law, on bribery and gratuities, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.

'€œBased on our case expose conducted last night, we have strong grounds to charge Comr. Gen. BG with corruption for allegedly receiving bribes or gratuities when serving as former head of the National Police'€™s internal affairs division from 2003 until 2006 and when serving other posts at the National Police,'€ Abraham told a press conference at KPK headquarters on Tuesday.

Clarifying intensifying rumors that the KPK'€™s move against Budi was politically motivated, KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto said the KPK'€™s probe into Budi was not a '€œsudden'€ investigation as it all started back in June 2010 when it received reports from NGOs regarding Budi'€™s alleged corruption, which provided a basis for the KPK to launch a preliminary investigation in 2012.

'€œWe held our first case expose into the case in July 2013. Since then we have been collecting evidence on his involvement in the case,'€ said Bambang.

President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo nominated Budi on Friday as the next police chief to replace incumbent chief Gen. Sutarman, who will retire in October. Budi was a former adjutant to former president Megawati Soekarnoputri, who is also Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) chairwoman.

Budi'€™s nomination had been met with a positive response from lawmakers and prior to the KPK accusing him in the graft case; he was expected to get an easy pass from the House.

Abraham said he was surprised to learn that Jokowi nominated Budi on Friday without consulting the KPK, as the antigraft body, along with the PPATK, had dropped the candidate when he was also tipped for a ministerial post in October.

'€œThe KPK red-flagged him [Budi] during the ministerial candidate screening in October,'€ Abraham said, adding that the KPK did not announce the graft-prone status of Budi at that time because such a move could hamper its ongoing investigation.

Budi is the first three-star general to be netted in a KPK investigation. The KPK previously sacked two-star general Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo and Brig. Gen. Didik Purnomo, who is a one-star general, in its investigation into the procurement of driving simulators at the National Police.

After meeting with Abraham on Tuesday night, police chief Sutarman said that the police would respect the KPK'€™s decision. '€œAs an active member of the police force, he [Budi] will be given legal assistance. Furthermore, we will assist the KPK during its investigation.'€

According to Bambang, Sutarman had given his full support to the KPK and had assisted the investigation into Budi'€™s case.

Although Sutarman previously insisted that Budi'€™s funds were clean, he acknowledged that the KPK might have found new evidence that proved otherwise.

In response to the KPK'€™s move, Cabinet Secretary Andi Widjajanto said Jokowi had demanded the National Police Commission (Kompolnas) prepare steps that needed to be taken by the President to address the issue. '€œHe [Jokowi] was shocked upon learning of the KPK'€™s decision in the case.'€

Vice President Jusuf Kalla visited Jokowi'€™s office and spent more than two hours discussing the matter.

Jokowi, according to Andi, will comment on Budi'€™s status and the future decisions that needed to be taken on Wednesday.

Despite Budi'€™s status as a graft suspect, House Commission III overseeing law and legal affairs is sticking with its plan to hold Budi'€™s confirmation hearing on Wednesday. Eight of 10 political factions at the House approved the hearing on Tuesday.

The Democratic Party and the United Development Party (PPP) were the only factions that demanded Budi'€™s hearing be put on hold, while the other eight, including the Gerindra Party, whose lawmakers previously openly criticized Budi'€™s nomination, suggested that the show should go on.

According to Gerindra lawmaker Desmond Junaidi Mahesa, the KPK'€™s decision was '€œsuspicious'€ considering the timing.

'€œWe are complying with the majority voice in Commission III. Thus, we will hold the confirmation hearing tomorrow,'€ Aziz Syamsuddin, a politician from the Golkar Party, said.

The Democratic Party believed Budi'€™s nomination should have been dropped following the KPK'€™s announcement and thus called on President Jokowi to submit the names of other candidates to the House. The PPP suggested that the House first hear the KPK'€™s explanation regarding its decision.

Several lawmakers from the ruling coalition, such as Rio Patrice Capella from the NasDem Party described the KPK'€™s move as '€œa slap in the President'€™s face'€.

'€œThe KPK should have respected the political process taking place in the House. Why did it make such a decision only a day before the scheduled confirmation hearing.'€ Patrice said.

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Margareth S. Aritonang and Ina Parlina also contributed to this story

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