T

he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has charged nonactive Jambi governor Zumi Zola Zulkifli with bribery in connection with alleged kickbacks given to Jambi Legislative Council members in deliberating the 2018 provincial budget.

Zumi allegedly knew about the bribes, KPK deputy chair Basaria Panjaitan said during a press briefing on Tuesday.

She added that Zumi himself had ordered acting Jambi Public Works and Housing Agency head Arfan and Jambi administrative assistant Saipudin to collect the bribe money.

“He is also suspected of accepting money from other agency heads and requesting money from other parties totaling Rp 3.4 billion [US$236.646], which ARN later passed through an aide to a number of councillors,” she said, referring to Arfan by his initials.

This is the second charge the KPK has laid against Zumi since February, when he was named as a suspect for allegedly accepting unlawful gifts in connection with the province’s development projects. He was detained two months later.

Basaria said KPK investigators had discovered that Zumi had accepted gratuities totaling Rp 49 million from 2016 to 2017, more than eight times the previously suspected amount of Rp 6 million.

The KPK’s graft investigation in Jambi started in November 2017. Arfan, Saifudin, acting provincial secretary Erwan Malik and councillor Supriyono were arrested and named suspects in a bribery case
concerning the Jambi council’s approval of the 2018 provincial budget. The Jambi Corruption Court found the four suspects guilty of bribery.