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Three more councilors detained by KPK in Jambi graft case
The three politicians, who served as councilors between 2014 and 2019, are Cekman from the Hanura Party, Tadjudin Hasan from the National Awakening Party (PAN) and Parlagutan Nasution from the United Development Party (PPP), all of whom had been named suspects in the case in 2018.
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The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) headquarters in South Jakarta. (JP/Wienda Parwitasari)
T
he Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has detained three more former members of the Jambi Regional Legislative Council for investigation into a graft case that has also implicated former governor Zumi Zola.
The three politicians, who served as councilors between 2014 and 2019, are Cekman from the Hanura Party, Tadjudin Hasan from the National Awakening Party (PAN) and Parlagutan Nasution from the United Development Party (PPP), all of whom had been named suspects in the case in 2018.
KPK commissioner Lili Pintauli Siregar said on Tuesday that the three were allegedly involved in demanding money from the regional administration in exchange for their approval of the provincial budget for fiscal years 2017 and 2018.
The antigraft agency also suspected that the former councilors demanded kickbacks from projects handled by the provincial administration. Each of them allegedly received between Rp 100 million (US$7,077) and Rp 600 million.
The KPK has charged the three suspects with violating articles 11 and 12 of the 2001 Corruption Law, which prohibit state officials from accepting bribes and gratuities.
Read also: KPK detains three councilors in Jambi graft case
They will be detained at the KPK detention center in South Jakarta for 20 days until July 19, with 14 days quarantine period to comply with the COVID-19 prevention protocols.
“We also detained three suspects in this case on June 26,” Lili said, referring to Jambi Council speaker Cornelis Buston of the Democratic Party as well as his two former deputies: AR Syahbandar of the Gerindra Party and Chumadi Zaidi of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).
Former governor Zumi was found guilty for his involvement in the case and the Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced him to six years’ imprisonment in December 2018.
So far, the KPK has arrested all 18 suspects in the case, comprising regional administration officials, local council members as well as businesspeople. Twelve of these have stood trial, with seven already convicted and sentenced by the court.
According to the antigraft agency, politics is one of the most corruption-prone sectors, as it has arrested 184 national and regional legislative members since its formation in 2003.
