Jakarta: The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) revealed the reason for favoring Bengkulu Governor Rohidin Mersyah before the election day. If postponed, the embezzled money is feared to disappear.
“Why not postpone it until after the (voting)?” “Sometimes it might be like that, if we postpone it, the money will be gone, right?” said KPK Deputy Chairman Alexander Marwata in Jakarta, Tuesday, November 26, 2024.
Rohidin has been named a suspect in a case of alleged extortion and acceptance of gratuities. He collected money for his needs to run as an incumbent in the Bengkulu regional election.
The KPK also emphasized that the arrest was made based on reports from the public. The investigation into the Rohidin case has been confirmed to have been conducted for a long time.
“Everything has already been divided (if postponed), so we decided to take action now,” said Alex.
The KPK believes that the arrest of Rohidin will not disrupt the course of the regional elections. Voting is expected to proceed as planned, including in Bengkulu.
“There’s still time, it’s not crossed out, okay? It’s not crossed out.” (nama Rohidin). No, right? Later in the ballot box, he (Rohidin) will still be there as a candidate for regional head,” said Alex.
KPK does not want to interfere in politics
The KPK does not want to interfere in politics in Bengkulu. The public is free to cast their votes on election day.
“It’s up to the people to choose, right? If his supporters (Rohidin) are still loyal to him, they will choose him no matter the risk,” said Alex.
The KPK found IDR 7 billion as evidence in the OTT in Bengkulu. The money found was in the form of rupiah, US dollars, and Singapore dollars.
A total of Rp32.5 million was found in the car of the Head of the Education and Culture Office of South Bengkulu, Saidirman. Then, Rp120 million was found in the house of the Head of the Government and Welfare Bureau of Bengkulu, Ferry Ernest Parera.
Then, Rp370 million was found in Rohidin’s car. Next, Rp6.5 billion was found in the house and car of the Governor of Bengkulu’s ADC, Evriansyah alias Anca.
In total, eight people were arrested by the KPK on Saturday, November 23, 2024. However, only three people were named as suspects, namely Rohidin, the Acting Governor of Bengkulu Evriansyah, and the Regional Secretary (Sekda) of Bengkulu Isnan Fajri.
In this case, the suspects are charged with violating Article 12 letter e and Article 12B of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 in conjunction with Article 55 of the Criminal Code.
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