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KPK grills public works minister in bribery case
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Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono prepares to leave the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) building in Jakarta after he attended a questioning session on Monday. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak A.)
T
he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) questioned on Monday Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono as a witness in a suspected bribery case relating to infrastructure construction in Maluku during the 2016 budget year.
The minister was questioned as a witness in the case of Rudy Erawan, the suspended regent of East Halmahera in North Maluku, who was named a suspect by the antigraft body in January.
“The questions were about the appointment of Pak Amran as the ministry’s regional office head and also on whether I knew Pak Rudy before, to which I replied 'no',” Basuki said after the questioning on Monday.
He referred to Amran Mustari of the ministry’s highway and bridge construction department for the Maluku region, who was found guilty of accepting kickbacks from several contractors. Amran allegedly gave the illicit money to Rudy, who is suspected of accepting Rp 6.3 billion (US$450,484).
Basuki claimed Amran’s appointment was done through the ministry’s rank and promotion agency.
Rudy was named a suspect as a result of the KPK’s probe into a bribery case revolving around a number of botched construction projects in the province. The case came to light following an operation conducted by the commission's graft busters in Jakarta in January 2016.
During the operation, KPK investigators arrested and named several bribery suspects, including Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) lawmaker Damayanti Wisnu Putranti and businessman Abdul Khoir, both of whom were later found guilty. Rudy is the 11th suspect to be named in the case. (ebf)
