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Analysis: Another NasDem minister bites the dust for alleged graft
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Politician Syahrul Yasin Limpo left the State Palace on Tuesday, October 22, 2019. (JP/Donny Fernando/Adi)
Corruption allegations dealt a heavy blow to the NasDem Party for the second time, just over four months ahead of the presidential election. Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD said on Wednesday that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) had named Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo a suspect over alleged malfeasance. The news came after KPK investigators searched Syarul’s official residence and office in Jakarta, as well as his houses in Makassar, South Sulawesi, while he was on a working visit to Europe last week.
Syahrul is the second NasDem politician that law enforcers have ensnared this year after former communications and information minister Johnny G. Plate. The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) indicted Johnny for accepting bribes in the construction of 4G base transceiver stations, which he had supervised.
During the search of Syahrul’s official residence on Sept. 29, investigators were seen carrying a money counter. KPK spokesperson Ali Fikri said the money counter was brought to count the cash found inside the house. Ali added that the money consisted of rupiah and foreign currencies totaling “tens of billions” of rupiah. The investigators also seized several financial records and electronic documents, as well as 12 firearms.
Tempo reported that two men, believed to be lawyers, attempted to enter the house as the search was underway. They claimed to have been asked by an unnamed NasDem politician to monitor the progress of the search. However, the investigators did not give them access to the premises as they could not prove that they were Syahrul’s attorneys. One of them wore a name tag that said “Sugandi”.
The KPK also searched the Agriculture Ministry’s office on Sept. 30. Confirming the search, Ali said investigators were looking for more evidence at the ministry’s Building A and the secretary-general’s office.
However, Ali denied media reports suggesting that the KPK had named Syahrul, Agriculture Minister Secretary-General Kasdi Subagyono and the director of agricultural machinery equipment Muhammad Hatta suspects in the corruption case.
According to Tempo, the KPK had secured sufficient evidence to launch a full-blown investigation into Syahrul. Statements from key witnesses obtained by the antigraft body revealed that Syahrul had received money from officials within the Agriculture Ministry, which was coordinated by Kasdi and collected by Hatta for Syahrul’s personal use. The same report found that Hatta was a central figure in the case as Syahrul’s right-hand man. Syahrul brought Hatta to Jakarta after his appointment as minister.
