T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Thursday searched the private residence of Sutan Bhatoegana, a graft suspect in a case related to the budgeting process of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.

The former chairman of House of Representatives Commission VII overseeing energy and minerals was named a suspect on May 14 for allegedly soliciting bribes to streamline his commission'€™s deliberation of the ministry'€™s state budget allocation.

'€œKPK investigators are now searching for evidence at the house of SB,'€ KPK spokesman Johan Budi told a press briefing at KPK headquarters on Thursday, referring to Sutan by his initials.

The house is located at Jl. Sipatuhan No. 26 in the Villa Duta Bogor complex in Bogor regency, West Java.

Johan further said that KPK investigators had also raided a house belonging to a witness in the case identified as Raja Hudri Parlindungan Siregar in Jatiluhur, West Java. Johan did not disclose further details about Raja.

'€œI have not received any information from the KPK investigation on what kind of evidence has been seized as the raid is ongoing,'€ Johan went on.

Sutan made headlines late last year after graft and money-laundering convict Rudi Rubiandini, formerly the Upstream Oil and Gas Regulatory Special Task Force (SKKMigas) head, revealed that the outspoken lawmaker had repeatedly asked him for cash and gifts in exchange for his approving the budget for the ministry, which oversees SKKMigas.

It has apparently become common practice for state agencies under the supervision of ministries to be used as cash cows.

Sutan has been accused of violating Articles 11 and 12 of the 2001 Corruption Law, in conjunction with Article 55 of the Criminal Law Procedures Code (KUHAP) on collective crimes. The use of the KUHAP articles implies other parties may have been involved.

The KPK said that it was still building its case against Sutan and would continue searching for evidence on the involvement of other individuals in the case.

The antigraft body was quick to deny that the next Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik would soon be named a suspect in the case, saying it was too early to do so. Jero is a senior politician with the Democratic Party.

The KPK questioned Sutan as a suspect for the first time on June 17, but decided not to detain him
afterwards.

'€œThe KPK usually detains a graft suspect whose dossier is almost complete. In Sutan'€™s case, the KPK is still far from finishing his dossier,'€ KPK deputy chairman Bambang Widjojanto said.

Earlier on May 22, the Financial Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (PPATK) hinted that Sutan would likely face money-laundering charges in addition to the corruption charges.

At that time, the PPATK said it had found indications of criminal activity in Sutan'€™s financial transactions, but refused to elaborate, adding that the KPK had requested his office begin its investigation of Sutan prior to the lawmaker being named a suspect.

'€œIf the KPK asks the PPATK to audit one'€™s finances before he is named a graft suspect, but later he is named a suspect, then it is almost certain that his financial transactions also indicate criminal wrongdoing,'€ said PPATK deputy chairman Agus Santoso.