Indonesia ex-agriculture minister named as graft suspect
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Mr Syahrul Yasin Limpo resigned last week after KPK raids on his multiple houses and ministry.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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JAKARTA – Indonesia’s anti-graft agency, known as the KPK, has named the country’s former agriculture minister as a suspect in a graft case, its deputy chief said, becoming the sixth member of President Joko Widodo’s Cabinet to face corruption allegations.
Mr Syahrul Yasin Limpo, who resigned last week
KPK named Mr Limpo as a suspect for allegedly instructing two colleagues to force officials to pay him up to US$10,000 (S$13,600) in exchange for positions or participation in procurement projects at the ministry.
The money allegedly came from the ministry’s marked up budget and further investigation against Mr Limpo is ongoing, deputy KPK chief Johanis Tanak said late on Wednesday.
Mr Limpo and his colleagues allegedly received about 14 billion rupiah (S$1.2 million), Mr Johanis said, adding some of the money was allegedly used to pay for Mr Limpo’s luxury car and credit card bills.
The KPK said raids on Mr Limpo's houses and ministry had found billions of rupiah in cash.
Indonesia’s president, commonly known as Mr Jokowi, appointed an acting agriculture minister last week.
Earlier in 2023, authorities arrested the then communications minister Johnny G. Plate on corruption charges. Mr Jokowi’s social affairs and fisheries ministers were jailed in 2021 for graft. REUTERS
