Jakarta - Indonesia's anti-corruption watchdog has named an
anti-trust official and a businessman as suspects in a bribery case,
officials and media reports said Wednesday.
Muhammad Iqbal, a member of the Business Competition Supervisory
Agency was caught red-handed by anti-corruption officers late Tuesday
at a Jakarta hotel receiving a 500-million-rupiah (53,000-dollar)
bribe from businessman Billy Sundoro, said Hamzah Chandra, deputy
chairman of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).
Police arrested both Iqbal and Sundoro, who is also president
director of cable TV provider First Media, Chandra said.
'After KPK conducted interrogations from last night until today,
both have been declared suspects and we will hold them for 20 days,'
Chandra told reporters.
Chandra said the alleged bribe was suspected to be related to a
monopoly case involving Direct Vision, partly owned by First Media
KBLV JK, a unit of the Lippo Group owned by tycoon James Riady.
He said the anti-graft body was investigating the case and
collecting evidence.
Along with Iqbal and Sundoro, the KPK also arrested three other
people implicated in the transaction.
The anti-graft agency has the power to make arrests, take over
investigations from the police and fast-track sensitive cases.
Since President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's high-profile anti-graft
campaign started, officials ranging from governors and former
ministers have been jailed on corruption charges.
But critics argue that the campaign has failed to take on some of
the country's most powerful figures.
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