G

raft suspect Patrice Rio Capella, a former NasDem Party executive, will likely accept the justice collaborator status offered by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

'€œWe will likely [accept the offer] just because that can reduce Rio'€™s sentence,'€ Rio'€™s lawyer, Maqdir Ismail, told reporters at KPK headquarters on Thursday.

He, however, had yet to sign an official letter on the acceptance.

Justice collaborator status is only offered to suspects who are not the main perpetrators in a criminal case. This means that Rio will get a chance to collaborate with the antigraft body to uncover more key players in the graft scheme.

Rio has been named suspect and is accused of accepting around Rp 200 million (US$14,674) for acting as an intermediary between North Sumatra governor Gatot Pujo Nugroho and Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo, also a former NasDem politician, to safeguard Gatot'€™s graft case currently being investigated at the Attorney General'€™s Office (AGO).

Maqdir said he did not know whether his client would reveal names involved in the case, claiming that Rio had answered all questions needed for the investigation.

The lawyer previously confirmed that the antigraft body had offered Rio the justice collaborator status, but the KPK refused to confirm the offer.

'€œIf it'€™s true [that KPK has offered the justice collaborator status], it means that Rio has met the requirements for it. We hope he contributes positively and helps us uncover a bigger scheme in this case,'€ acting deputy KPK chairman Indriyanto Seno Aji said.