19 politicians detained for bribe case in Indonesia
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Indonesian anti-corruption watchdog had detained 19 politicians in bribery case valued at 224 billion rupiah (some 2.7 million U.S. dollars) to support a candidate of central bank governor, a media reported here Saturday.
The move may help boost investor confidence on the country's efforts to clean the governance which has been recorded of rampant corruption.
The politicians were from the second biggest of Golkar Party, the third biggest party of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDIP), and the United Development Party (PPP). One of them is an active lawmaker from PDIP and the rest are ex- legislators, former minister and politician.
The 19 detained on Friday were among the 26 suspects named last September in the 2004 bribery scandal that has already seen four former lawmakers jailed.
All the 19 will initially be detained for 20 days, Johan Budi spokesman of the watchdog or Corruption Eradication Commission ( KPK) was quoted by the Jakarta globe as saying.
The suspects are accused of receiving traveler's checks worth 150 million rupiah to 1.45 billion rupiah (16,000 U.S. dollars to 160,000 U.S. dollars) each to ensure that candidate of central bank governor Miranda Gultom was appointed as senior deputy governor. The case was reported at 2008.
Indonesia has sent scores of officials from active central bank governor to lawmakers to jail for bribery since 2004 under the leadership of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, but the move has been much criticized recently as it has been slower than years ago.
But, it has not hampered global investor's appetite to invest in the country which promises higher return.
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