TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Metro Police on Wednesday, Nov. 22, named the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) chairman Firli Bahuri as a suspect in the extortion case against former Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo.

“FB (Firli Bahuri) as the KPK chairman is named as a suspect in the alleged corruption case after finding enough evidence,” The Jakarta Police’s director for special crime directorate, Sr. Comr. Ade Safri Simanjuntak said at the Jakarta Police headquarters on Wednesday, November 22, 2023.

The investigation began in August 2023 when a report of the alleged extortion was filed. The police elevated the case to a further investigation in October of the same year.

Over 100 people have been questioned in relation to this case, including Syahrul Yasin Limpo, Firli Bahuri himself, KPK officials, Kevin Egananta Joshua, and Semarang Police Chief Sr. Comr. Irwan Anwar.

Firli was charged under Article 12e, Article 12B, and Article 11 of Law No. 31 of 1999 on the Eradication of Corruption, as amended by Law No. 20 of 2001, in conjunction with Article 65 of the Criminal Code.

The Jakarta Police had probed Firli twice at the Police Criminal Investigation Department. Firli continued to evade journalists who asked for confirmation, denying any wrongdoing against Syahrul, who had earlier been named a suspect in the corruption case at the Agriculture Ministry.

Firli insisted that his extortion case was resistance from corruptors.

The Jakarta Police had searched two of Firli's houses, each in South Jakarta and Bekasi City, confiscating evidence and examining documents and electronic goods, foreign exchange fragments from several money changers for Singapore dollars and United States dollars amounting to Rp7,468,711,500 from February 2021 to September 2023.

M. FAIZ ZAKI

Editor's Choice: Firli Bahuri: Extortion Allegations are Corruptor's Ploy to Weaken KPK

Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News