The Corruption Eradication Commission’s (KPK) recent arrest of incumbent Bengkulu Governor Rohidin Mersyah and several other officials from the provincial administration reflects rampant election-related graft and a lack of campaign funding transparency, analysts have said.

Just days before Wednesday’s regional head elections, the KPK named Rohidin, who is seeking reelection, as well as his aide Evriansyah and provincial secretary Isnan Fajri, suspects in an extortion and illegal gratuities case concerning funds for Rohodin’s reelection campaign.

KPK deputy chief Alexander Marwata said in a press conference on Sunday that the antigraft body had launched the probe in May, some three months before candidates for the November polls registered their bids, following a tip-off that several agencies under the Bengkulu administration were planning to pool money for Rohidin’s reelection campaign.

On Saturday, the three men were apprehended along with several other high-ranking officials, although only the three were named suspects in the case. The KPK also seized cash in rupiah, United States dollars and Singapore dollars totaling Rp 7 billion (US$441,900), along with transaction receipts.

Rohidin has been accused of extorting the money from his subordinates by threatening them with removal from their positions if they failed to contribute to his campaign.

Read also: KPK names Bengkulu governor, seeking reelection, as graft suspect

In its investigation, the KPK found that provincial secretary Isnan allegedly met with every regional agency head between September and October and asked them to fund Rohidin’s bid.

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