T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has arrested Cimahi Mayor Atty Suharti and her husband, former mayor Itoc Tochija, in connection with a graft case that could end the couple’s long reign in the West Java city.

Atty, who is seeking reelection in February, may be barred from running for a second term if she is convicted of the crime.

The antigraft body raided the couple’s house on Thursday night and conducted a search that lasted until Friday morning.

“KPK [investigators] left the residence taking along Itoch and Atty and several documents,” said West Java Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Yusri Yunus.

Itoch served as mayor from 2002 to 2012, as the law only allows an official to serve as regional head for two consecutive terms.

His wife Atty later succeeded him after winning the local election.

Yusri said 15 KPK members arrived at the house in five cars. The police led the search of the house.

Atty and Itoch were taken to the West Java Police headquarters for questioning before being taken to the KPK office in Jakarta.

Cimahi, a small town comprising only three districts, is located just west of Bandung, the capital of West Java.

Atty, who is currently on leave to campaign for the election, is running with former local councillor Achmad Zulkarnain and is backed by the Golkar Party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the NasDem Party.

Her arrest does not affect her candidacy, but she will be dismissed from the job if convicted of the crime.

The local election committee announced that Atty was the richest candidate, owning assets worth Rp 9.08 billion, or Rp 2 billion more than when she ran for office the first time in 2012.

The arrest of Cimahi’s top couple adds to a long list of suspected corrupt practices by political dynasties in the regions.

Earlier, the antigraft body uncovered a string of graft practices by former Banten governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah.

Atut, who led the province from 2005 to 2014, distributed power and fortune among her family members and wields influence to this day.

Atut’s web of power in the province benefited the Golkar Party from when she became deputy governor in 2002, and Atut’s family is now one of the most important political forces operating within Golkar.

Her sister Ratu Tatu Chasanah leads Serang regency and her sister-in-law, Airin Rachmi Diani, is the South Tangerang mayor. Other members of Atut’s family control a number of Banten’s regencies and municipalities. Atut’s stepbrother, Tubagus Haerul Jaman, serves as Serang mayor. All are Golkar members.

Atut was suspended from her position as Banten governor in 2014 after the KPK named her a suspect in multiple graft cases. She was sentenced to four years in prison in 2014.

Meanwhile, her younger brother Tubagus Chaeri Wardana, who is also Airin’s husband, was sentenced to seven years in prison for bribing former Constitutional Court chief justice Akil Mochtar.

As a young democracy that has implemented regional autonomy within the past two decades ago, new local leaders have emerged and continued to dominate their respective regions.

After a regional head serves two terms, the power is often passed to the spouse, a child or another family member.