T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named the regent of Sabu Raijua in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), Marthen Dira Tome, a suspect for allegedly discouraging a number of witnesses from being questioned in a corruption case implicating him.

Marthen was arrested by KPK investigators in Jakarta on Monday, said KPK commissioner Laode Muhammad Syarif.

“A number of witnesses in Kupang [provincial capital of NTT ] refused to be questioned by investigators, which we suspect is due to alleged threats from the suspect [Marthen],” Laode said on the sidelines of a seminar in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Marthen was charged under the 2001 Corruption Law for obstructing a corruption investigation, he added.

Marthen’s lawyer, Yohanis Rihi, denied the regent had prevented the witnesses from meeting their summonses.

“It was their personal decision to not go to the KPK,” he told The Jakarta Post.

Sabu Raijua Deputy Regent Nicodemus Rihi Heke said he had received a phone call from Marthen regarding the latter’s arrest.

“He told me to remain calm and instructed us to carry out our normal activities. He hopes the case is resolved soon,” said Nicodemus.

He claimed the administration’s activities remained normal.

“Public services are running as usual,” added Nicodemus

This is the second time Marthen has been named a suspect by the KPK.

The antigraft body previously named Marthen a suspect in 2014 for his alleged role in a corruption case related to the disbursement of education funds amounting to Rp 77.6 billion (US$5.82 million).

His suspect status was annulled by a pretrial court decision.

Marthen allegedly misused funds when he was a high-ranking official at the East Nusa Tenggara Education and Sports Agency in 2007.

In May, this year, the South Jakarta District Court ruled in favor of the regent and approved his pretrial motion. Judge Nursyam declared the latter’s suspect status in relation to the alleged funds misuse void.

The judge made the decision on the grounds that “the KPK did not obtain sufficient evidence to name [Marthen] a suspect.”

The KPK previously took over the investigation from the East Nusa Tenggara Prosecutor’s Office, where the investigation into the case had been stalled for years.

More than 100 regional heads across Indonesia have been charged with corruption since 2010, according to KPK data.

The KPK has named four regional heads graft suspects since October.

Previously, the mayor of Madiun city in East Java, Bambang Irianto, was named a graft suspect in relation to the construction of the Madiun Central Market.

Samsu Umar Abdul Samiun, the regent of Buton, Southeast Sulawesi, was charged with bribery in connection to an election dispute at the Constitutional Court.

Tanggamus Regent Bambang Kurniawan from Lampung province was named a suspect for his alleged role in a bribery case implicating a number of members of the Tanggamus Legislative Council. The regent allegedly bribed politicians for the endorsement of the 2016 Tanggamus regional budget.