By Ainur Rohmah
JAKARTA
Indonesia's anti-graft agency has named Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Jero Wacik as a suspect in a corruption case, making him the third cabinet member to be implicated in a high-profile scandal.
Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Deputy Commissioner Zulkarnain – many Indonesians use only one name – was quoted by Kompas.com as telling reporters, “the warrant letter for the investigation was issued September 2, there has been an increase of status to investigate suspect JW [Jero Wacik] from the energy and mineral resources ministry.”
The case follows the arrest of the head of government institution SKKMigas, Rudi Rubiandini, in August last year on charges of obtaining kickbacks from Singapore-based Kernel Oil to award it a lucrative tender to sell oil. The investigation led to Jero's ministry, where the KPK caught Secretary-General Waryono Karno with $200,000 in cash in his office.
Kompas.com quoted KPK Chairman Abraham Samad as saying Tuesday, “I personally think he [Jero] has a lust for lavish living. That greed is part of his nature, it can’t be controlled.”
Political corruption is a structural problem in Indonesia that seriously undermines people’s trust in politicians and political parties.
Jero is the third minister from outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s cabinet - and the second from his Democratic Party - to be suspected in a corruption scandal.
Former youth and sports minister Andi Alfian Malarangeng, also from the Democratic Party, was recently handed a four-year sentence for involvement in a graft case over the construction of a sports complex.
Earlier this year, former religious affairs minister Suryadharma Ali resigned after being named a suspect in a case involving the allocation of state funds for Hajj, the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia.
Suryadharma Ali – who also serves as chairman of the United Development Party, an Islamic party in the ruling coalition - is accused of having caused losses to the state’s $5 billion Hajj fund through allegedly abusing his authority in its management projects from 2012-2013.
Several top officials from the Democratic Party have been jailed, or are standing or awaiting trial in a range of graft cases.
After various corruption scandals, the party suffered a 9.42 percent loss in legislative elections this year – garnering only 20.81 of votes.
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