TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The arrest of the House of Representative (DPR) Deputy Speaker Azis Syamsuddin adds to the list of legislators incriminated in cases of corruption. Azis was named a suspect in the graft case involving a Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) former investigator, Robin Pattuju, linked to the mishandling of the special allocation funds of Central Lampung.

However, it is important to note that his arrest is not an isolated case as past events saw people in similar levels of positions in the House incriminated in corruption.

Setya Novanto (Former House Speaker)

Novanto had been a member of the House since 1999 but eventually resigned from his position in December 2015 as DPR Speaker after a case of profiteering by mentioning the Indonesian President Joko Widodo in a verbal contract with PT Freeport Indonesia.

However, he reclaimed his position as Speaker in November of 2016 before he was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment after he was found guilty in intervening the procurement process of the electronic ID card (e-KTP) major project that saw cost the government Rp2.3 trillion in losses. The corruption he committed lasted from 2011 to 2012.

Taufik Kurniawan (Former DPR Deputy Speaker)

Kurniawan was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment after the Semarang Corruption Court (Tipikor) found him guilty of violating Law No.20/2001 on the eradication of corruption for receiving Rp4.85 billion reward for a certain national project touted DAK. All of the money he received was sourced from the 2016-2017 State Budget (APBN).

He was the 2014-2019 House Deputy Speaker and was sentenced on July 15, 2019.

Read: Corruption Impedes Indonesia's Efforts to Become High-income Nation: Sri Mulyani

RAHMAT AMIN SIREGAR