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Bribery mars Jokowi’s flagship maritime highway
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Transportation Ministry's suspended sea transportation director general Antonius Tonny Budiono speaks to journalists at Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) office in Jakarta on late Friday, Aug. 25, after being interrogated by KPK investigators. (tempo.co/ Eko Siswono Toyudho)
W
hen President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo bestowed upon Antonius Tonny Budiono the prestigious Satya Lencana Karya Satya award in recognition of the latter’s 30 years of service as a civil servant, the then Transportation Ministry’s sea transportation director general promised to work harder for the nation’s maritime policies, including Jokowi’s signature maritime highway vision.
“[One of my jobs] is to realize the President’s global maritime axis ambition,” Tonny said upon receiving the award in 2016.
The maritime highway policy aims to facilitate connectivity between cities and regions with better modes of transportation to significantly cut down on price disparities.
A year later, Antonius has made headlines after being named a corruption suspect.
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators nabbed him while he was sleeping in a dormitory owned by the ministry in Jakarta on Wednesday evening. In the room, investigators found 33 bags filled with allegedly illicit money amounting to Rp 20 billion (US$1.5 million) in different currencies.
Read also: Vacancies in top posts won’t affect performance: Transportation Minister
The amount of money seized makes the arrest one of the KPK’s most significant.
