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KPK names deputy law minister suspect in bribery case
Deputy law minister Eddy Hiariej is the latest cabinet member of the Jokowi administration to be named as a corruption suspect, which was confirmed by the antigraft body on Thursday.
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Deputy Law and Human Rights Minister Edward “Eddy” Omar Sharif Hiariej leaves the Jakarta headquarters of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on March 20, 2023, after he was questioned over allegations of accepting unlawful gifts. (Kompas/Fakhri Fadlurrohman)
T
he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named Deputy Law and Human Rights Minister Edward “Eddy” Omar Sharif Hiariej as a suspect in a bribery case pertaining to an ownership dispute of a nickel mining company in South Sulawesi.
KPK deputy chair Alexander Marwata confirmed Eddy’s suspect status in response to a reporter’s question during a press briefing on Thursday.
“That’s correct. We signed the [suspect notice issued for Eddy] around two weeks ago,” Alexander said.
“There are four suspects in the case: three who allegedly accepted bribes and another who allegedly gave [the bribes],” he added, though he did not identify the other suspects.
Tempo magazine broke the news on Eddy’s suspect status in an article published earlier this week, which revealed that KPK commissioners decided at a meeting on Sept. 27 to elevate its case against the deputy law minister into a full investigation.
According to Tempo, the antigraft body received in mid-March a report alleging the deputy minister of committing corruption that was submitted by Sugeng Teguh Santoso, who chairs Indonesia Police Watch (IPW), an independent watchdog founded by police reporters.
The report alleged that Eddy had accepted bribes totaling Rp 7 billion (US$446,000) from businessman Helmut Herawan in exchange for the deputy minister’s help in issuing an ownership document in Helmut’s name for PT Citra Lampia Mandiri, which operates a 2,660-hectare nickel mining concession in East Luwu, South Sulawesi.
