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Amid inquiry saga, tireless KPK makes fourth major arrest in June

While many Muslims across the country were gearing up for Idul Fitri next week, Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators arrested Bengkulu Governor Ridwan Mukti and his wife Lily Maddari in Bengkulu on Tuesday.

Bagus Saragih (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Tue, June 20, 2017

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Amid inquiry saga, tireless KPK makes fourth major arrest in June Lili Madari, the wife of Bengkulu Governor Ridwan Mukti, is arrested by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators on Tuesday. (Kompas.com/Firmansyah)

Ramadhan marks busy month for country’s top graft busters.

While many Muslims across the country were gearing up for Idul Fitri next week, Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators arrested Bengkulu Governor Ridwan Mukti and his wife Lily Maddari in Bengkulu on Tuesday.

The operation began after Lily was reportedly caught accepting cash amounting to around Rp 1 billion (US$75,200) in bribes from a contractor at the governor’s official residence. The money was kept in a cardboard box.

It was the second KPK operation in Bengkulu this month, and the fourth across Indonesia.

The arrest was made amid heated political tension centering on the House of Representatives’ controversial inquiry into the KPK.

Lawmakers have accused the antigraft body of committing unprofessional conduct after the KPK began investigating the multi-trillion rupiah e-ID case, which has implicated dozens of politicians across all parties.

Read also: KPK should ignore "legally flawed" House inquiry: Constitutional experts

Also on Tuesday, members of the inquiry committee threatened to stall the budget deliberation of the KPK.

But the KPK, riding on the wave of support from experts and activists across Indonesia, got a morale boost and even intensified its crack-down on corruption.

Ridwan, a Golkar politician, as well as three other people who were also arrested in the operation, were taken to the KPK’s headquarters in Jakarta after temporarily being held at Bengkulu Police headquarters.

Bengkulu Governor Ridwan Mukti (left) and Vice Governor Rohidin Mersyah pose at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta on Feb. 12, 2016.(Tempo/Aditia Noviansyah)

Two of the arrested individuals were reportedly contractors.

KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah confirmed a total of five individuals were arrested but refused to go into details, saying the investigation was still ongoing.

As of Tuesday evening, the KPK had yet to name any suspect.

Only four days before, KPK deputy chair Basaria Panjaitan warned that the antigraft body expected other potential bribery cases.

“If you don’t stop committing corruption, there will be more arrest operations,” she said during a press conference on the arrests of three Mojokerto Legislative Council speakers, an alleged middleman, and a local agency head in Mojokerto, East Java, on June 16.

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) deputy chairs Basaria Panjaitan (right) and Laode M. Syarif (center) and KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah host a press conference on Jan. 26.(Antara/Wahyu Putro A)

Investigators also seized Rp 470 million (US$35,300) allegedly related to budget manipulation.

This was the second arrest made by the antigraft body in the province, this month.

On June 5, KPK investigators arrested six people, including East Java Provincial Legislative Council member Mochamad Basuki. Mochamad allegedly accepted Rp 150 million in illegal levies from the province’s agriculture agency head, Bambang Heryanto, who was also arrested.

Read also: ‘Upeti’ corruption remains rampant across country

Four days later, the KPK arrested Parlin Purba, an intelligence officer of the Bengkulu Prosecutor’s Office in Bengkulu, for allegedly accepting bribes.

Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo said he would decide on the fate of Ridwan pending an official announcement by the KPK.

Read also: House inquiry ‘obstruction of justice’: KPK

Meanwhile, Golkar Party secretary general Idrus Marham said he had talked to the chairman of Golkar's Bengkulu chapter, Imron Rosyadi, to monitor the case and provide legal assistance to Ridwan.

“One of the principles Golkar has adopted is that if a member is involved in a case, the party’s central executive board will have the head of its law and human rights division oversee and assist the individual in question to make sure the legal process is conducted justly,” he said in Jakarta on Tuesday as reported by kompas.com.

The arrest led to Gubernur Bengkulu being one of Twitter Indonesia’s trending topics on Tuesday.

Former Constitutional Court chief justice Mahfud MD, tweeted in his Twitter account @mohmahfudmd, “Ridwan Mukti is a good friend of mine. I supported his candidacy during the Bengkulu gubernatorial election. But the law must be upheld. We support the KPK.”

(ecn)

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