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Democratic Party urges KPK to clarify lawmaker arrest
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The Democratic Party's ethics council chief, Amir Syamsuddin , speaks to journalists at the House of Representatives. (Kompas.com/Indra Akuntono)
T
he Democratic Party’s ethics council head, Amir Syamsuddin, has asked the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) to clarify a statement in which it said it had allegedly caught red-handed one of its lawmakers, I Putu Sudiartana, in a sting.
The politician said the explanation given by KPK commissioners during a press conference on Wednesday evening did not confirm whether the House lawmaker had been allegedly caught red-handed accepting a bribe.
“It was not stated that an actual transaction took place in his [Putu’s] presence when the sting was carried out,” he said.
Amir said the KPK’s move to announce that I Putu Sudiartana had allegedly been caught red-handed could taint the image of the party.
The KPK named Putu a suspect in a bribery case related to an infrastructure construction project in West Sumatra on Wednesday. KPK investigators arrested the lawmaker Tuesday evening.
"After 24-hour questioning, followed by a case briefing, we decided to name I Putu Sudiartana, Noviyanti, Suhemi, Yogas Askan, and Suprapto suspects in the case," said KPK deputy chairman Basaria Pandjaitan in the press conference.
Along with his staff member, Noviyanti, and her husband Suhemi, Putu is alleged to have accepted Rp 500 million ( US$37,893.15 ) in relation to the construction of 12 toll roads in West Sumatra.
The KPK said West Sumatra Spatial Planning and Housing Agency head Suprapto initiated the three-year project worth Rp 300 billion. Suprapto and businessman Yogas Askan are accused of paying Putu and his staff members the bribes to ensure the inclusion of the project in the revised 2016 state budget (ebf)
