North Sumatra Legislators Face Questioning, and Perhaps Detention, by KPK
Jakarta. Five members of the North Sumatra provincial legislature will face questioning – and possible detention – by antigraft officials on Friday in connection to a bribery case involving the province’s suspended governor, Gatot Pujo Nugroho.
The councilors, identified as Saleh Bangun, Chaidir Ritonga, Ajib Shah, Kamaludin Harahap and Sigit Pramono Asri, have been named suspects by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
The antigraft body alleges that they took bribes from Gatot to drop a planned legislative inquiry into allegations that the governor embezzled social aid funds from the provincial budget.
There is a high likelihood the legislators will be detained, given the KPK’s penchant for taking suspects into custody following questioning on a Friday, in a tradition known as Jumat Kramat, or Hallowed Friday.
For his part, Gatot has been named a suspect in three corruption cases.
In July, the KPK named him and his wife, Evi Susanti, suspects for allegedly bribing three judges at the State Administrative Court in Medan – also named suspects.
Gatot and Eddy Sofyan, a provincial administration official, have also been charged by the Attorney General’s Office over the embezzlement allegations.
On Tuesday, the KPK hit Gatot with an additional charge of bribing the provincial legislators.
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