DPD to Wait for Legal Process Before Deciding Graft Suspect Irman Gusman's Fate
Jakarta. The ethics council of the Regional Representatives Council, or DPD, will wait for the legal process to take its course before taking any further steps against Irman Gusman after removing him from his post as speaker on Tuesday (20/09).
DPD Deputy Speaker Farouk Muhammad said the council postponed its decision because there is a chance that Irman may file for a pretrial motion. Irman will remain a member of the DPD until further notice.
"We will proceed after the pretrial motion is completed," Farouk said after a plenary session in Jakarta, as reported by Kompas.com.
Although the ethics council postponed its decision, Irman has no plans yet to file a pretrial motion.
"We are still studying the case. If there is anything irregular [with regard to the legal process], we will file for a pretrial motion," Irman's lawyer Tommy Singh said during a visit to the offices of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in Jakarta.
Irman, who has been serving as the council's speaker since 2009, was nabbed in a sting operation on Friday night for allegedly having received Rp 100 million ($7,600) in kickbacks from Xaveriandy Sutanto, the director of CV Semesta Berdaya, for manipulating West Sumatra's sugar import quota.
Besides Irman and Xaveriandy, the KPK also arrested, Xaveriandy's wife Memi, and the director's brother, identified only by the initials W.S.
The KPK has also been questioning Irman in a corruption case related to biometric identification cards, or e-KTP, which resulted in state losses worth Rp 1.12 trillion.
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