Indonesian anti-trust official named suspect in bribe case

Sep 17, 2008, 11:53 GMT

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.