Antigraft investigators officially detained the former speaker of the Malang Legislative Council in East Java on bribery allegations on Thursday (03/11).
Mochamad Arief Wicaksono was named a graft suspect three months ago for allegedly accepting bribes of up to Rp 950 million ($70,300) in two separate cases.
The Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) politician was tight-lipped when he emerged from the offices of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in South Jakarta on Thursday after several hours of questioning. He was donning the infamous orange vest KPK detainees are routinely required to wear.
“He will be detained for 20 days,” KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah told reporters. “We will question him further during this period.”
Arief allegedly accepted Rp 700 million in bribes from Malang Public Works Office head Jarot Edy Sulistyono in connection with the deliberation on the city’s revised 2015 budget.
He allegedly also accepted Rp 250 million in bribes last year from Hendarwan Maruszaman, a commissioner at construction firm ENK, to approve the Rp 98-billion Kedungkandang Bridge project, currently under construction in the city.
Arief, who stepped down as a council speaker shortly after being named a graft suspect, may face up to 20 years in prison if found guilty.
KPK investigators have also named Jarot and Hendarwan as suspects.
