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Minister Syahrul resigns amid legal firestorm
Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo of the NasDem Party announced his resignation on Thursday afternoon over alleged corruption at his ministry.
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Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo (center) gestures to journalists as he arrives at the ministry office in Jakarta on October 5, 2023. His lawyer, Febri Diansyah, said the minister called a meeting to form a team of lawyers to help him deal with graft charges at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK). (Antara/Aprilio Akbar)
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o:p>Agriculture Minister Syahrul Limpo of the NasDem Party announced his resignation on Thursday afternoon over alleged corruption at his ministry.
Syahrul presented his resignation letter to President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo via State Secretary Pratikno at the Merdeka Palace a day after returning to the country from a working trip to Italy and Spain.
“The reason why I am resigning is due to an ongoing legal case I am facing – and I have to be ready to deal with it even though I do hope there will be no judgemental biases toward me,” Syahrul said when tendering the resignation on Thursday.
Syahrul has requested to have an audience with the President on Thursday but the meeting did not happen due to conflicting schedules, State Secretary Pratikno said.
Syahrul's return to Indonesia ended speculation over his whereabouts in Europe, where he reportedly went missing after extending his stay following working visits to Italy and Spain.
Upon arriving at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Banten on Wednesday evening, Syahrul went to the NasDem headquarters to meet with party chief Surya Paloh and other high-ranking members – reportedly to discuss Syahrul’s case.
Investigators from the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) raided Syahrul’s official residence and the ministry’s office in Jakarta last week, as well as his house in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on Wednesday to gather more evidence into alleged corruption at the Agriculture Ministry.
