Nur Alam has been named a graft suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for allegedly receiving bribe over mining license.
The Home Affairs Minister should have released Nur Alam from his duty as governor to allow him to concentrate on his legal case, a local anti corruption activist, Kaimuddin said here on Friday.
"In addition Nur Alam should not be allowed to assume normal activities to prevent him from committing more corruption and hiding evidence needed by KPK investigators, Kaimuddin said.
Kaimuddin also urged KPK to put Nur Alam in detention so as not to give him opportunity to pressure potential witnesses not to testify against him.
Earlier a member of the Indonesian ombudsman (ORI) said the KPK action in naming Nur Alam as graft suspect should serve as a lesson for other regional leaders.
The action taken by KPK was also a slap on the face of other law enforcement agencies, head of the regional representative office of ORI Aksa said .
Other law enforcement agencies have failed in seeing what KPK has seen behind the wealth amassed by the governor, Aksa said.
The attorney general office has long launched investigations into alleged corruption and money laundering involving Nur Alam, but apparently the investigations had balked somewhere in the process.
The Southeast Sulawesi governor is charged with corruption in the process of granting nickel exploration license to PT.Anugerah Harisma Barakah (AHB) in 2012.
KPK began investigation of the corruption case on report from the Financial Transaction Analysis and Reporting Center (PPATK) on what is called "fat accounts."
Nurul Alam was also charged with Rp36 billion (US$4.5 million) money laundering. (*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
