TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - General Treasurer of the NasDem (National Democrat) Party, Ahmad Sahroni, dismissed rumors about the disappearance of one of their party members, Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo, during a working visit to Europe. Sahroni confirmed that Syahrul Yasin Limpo would eventually return to Indonesia.

"He didn't disappear," said Ahmad Sahroni when asked about the minister's whereabouts on Tuesday, October 3, 2023.

Sahroni admitted that Syahrul Yasin Limpo was supposed to arrive in Jakarta on October 1, 2023. However, due to unforeseen circumstance, Syahrul Yasin Limpo has not return to Indonesia as originally planned.

Sahroni revealed the reason of why Syahrul Yasin Limpo had not yet return to Indonesia is because that he is sick. "He has prostate problems, so he will treat it first," he said. However, Sahroni stated that he does not know where he is being treated. "I don't know where he is treated, I only got information that he had prostate problems. In the end we lost contact," he said.

Sahroni said that Syahrul Yasin Limpo would arrive in Jakarta on October 5. Upon returning to Indonesia, Syahrul will immediately face the General Chairperson of NasDem, Surya Paloh. "The general chairman's order is that he is to return immediately after completing (the prostate) treatment," he said.

Director General of Immigration at the Ministry of Law and Human Rights, Silmy Karim, said that the Minister of Agriculture, Syahrul Yasin Limpo, had not yet entered Indonesia even though he was scheduled to arrive on October 1, 2023. He said that Syahrul Yasin Limpo's last whereabouts in Rome, Italy, were monitored from data on crossings and cooperation between countries.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) searched the official residence of Syahrul Yasin Limpo in Kebayoran Baru on Thursday evening, September 28, 2023. The KPK also searched the Ministry of Agriculture's office, namely in the room of Syahrul and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, Kasdi Subagyono.

In a press conference in Jakarta on Friday, September 29, 2023, KPK spokesman Ali Fikri said that his party confiscated Rp30 billion in cash which was found inside several envelopes. The Corruption Eradication Committee (KPK) suspects that some of the money came from employees related to promotions and transfers at the Ministry of Agriculture.

TIKA AYU

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