Indonesia arrests top anti-graft official 5 days into the job

Indonesia arrests top anti-graft official 5 days into the job

Hery Susanto was arrested late on Wednesday over allegations he accepted bribes from a nickel company.

Hery Susanto is accused of receiving 1.5 billion rupiah (about RM346,000) while serving in a more junior role in the ombudsman’s office. (Wikipedia pic)
JAKARTA:
Indonesian authorities have arrested the country’s chief ombudsman on bribery charges just five days after he was sworn in as the top official responsible for fighting government graft, the attorney- general’s office said.

Hery Susanto, sworn in as chief ombudsman by president Prabowo Subianto last Friday, was arrested late on Wednesday over allegations he accepted bribes from a nickel company, according to Syarief Sulaeman Nahdi, director of investigations for the attorney-general’s office.

Hery was accused of receiving 1.5 billion rupiah (about RM346,000) while serving in a more junior role in the ombudsman’s office.

“We carried out a search, and we took him into custody last night at his home,” Syarief told reporters in Jakarta on Thursday.

Hery was paraded in front of journalists wearing a bright pink vest of the kind often worn by people arrested on corruption charges in Indonesia.

There was no immediate comment from Hery or any legal representatives about the charges. He risks prison time if convicted.

Indonesia has the world’s largest nickel reserves and is the biggest producer of the metal used in electric vehicle batteries and stainless steel.

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