Bribery Suspect Declared a Governor Nominee
Jakarta. Indonesia's antigraft agency, the Corruption Eradication Commission or KPK, charged Marianus Sae, the district head of Ngada in East Nusa Tenggara, with bribery on Monday (12/02). But on the very same day, the province's regional elections commission went ahead announcing Marinus as a governor nominee in June's local election.
Marianus was arrested by KPK investigators on Sunday in Surabaya, East Java, and was quickly transported to the commission's headquarters in Jakarta to be interrogated.
He is now being detained at Jakarta's Cipinang prison, KPK spokeswoman Yuyuk Andriati said as reported by Suara Pembaruan.
Yuyuk said Marianus received around Rp 4.1 billion ($300,000) in bribes in cash or bank transfers from 2017 until early this year.
He was given a debit card by a businessman called Wilhelmus Iwan Ulumbu, who was also arrested in Bajawa, East Nusa Tenggara, on Sunday.
Marianus, who was made a district head in 2015, refused to answer reporters' questions when he walked out of KPK headquarters on Monday.
Wilhelmus is the director of Sinar 99 Permai, a contractor hired to manage seven infrastructure projects worth Rp 54 billion in Ngada this year, the KPK said.
Marianus faces up to 20 years in jail and fines of up to Rp 1 billion if convicted.
Still a Governor Nominee
The East Nusa Tenggara elections commission announced Marianus as one of the province's governor nominees — with Emiliana Nomleni as his running mate — for the June election on Monday, BeritaSatu TV reported.
According to Indonesia's election regulations, political parties cannot withdraw their nominations once they have been announced but they can be canceled if a court finds the nominees guilty of a crime.
Marianus' governor nomination is backed by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the National Awakening Party (PKB).
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