TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Riau Islands Governor Nurdin Basirun along with other regional officials were caught red-handed by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) over alleged bribery in the permit of reclamation island plan.

"[We have] arrested the province’s regional head," the commission spokesman Febri Diansyah said in his office, Jakarta, Wednesday, July 10.

Other than Nurdin who is the cadre of NasDem Party, the anti-graft body nabbed 5 other regional officials, consisted of agency heads, division heads, civil servants, and private employees. "In total, the team secured six people," he added.

The team also seized money worth Sin$6,000 or some Rp165 million. It was suspected that was not the first bribery practice.

According to Febri, those arrested people were currently in the regional resort police to undergo an examination and the KPK has 24 hours to determine the legal status of them.

Meanwhile, NasDem Party secretary-general Johnny G. Plate stressed that his party does not tolerate cadres involved in corruption cases. He said that he tried to reach Nurdin for direct confirmation. "But he cannot be contacted. If he’s named suspect, we will immediately dismiss him. We will not wait for the legal decision," he underlined.

M ROSSENO AJI | DEWI NURITA

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