I apologize to the President of Indonesia, the Vice President of Indonesia, the chief of PKB party, Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU), and the people of Indonesia. I thank all my colleagues in the Ministry of Youths and Sports
Jakarta (ANTARA) - Youth and Sports Minister Imam Nahrawi has apologized to the President of Indonesia while announcing his resignation after being named a suspect in a bribery scandal involving the National Sports Committee (KONI). "I apologize to the President of Indonesia, the Vice President of Indonesia, the chief of PKB party, Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU), and the people of Indonesia. I thank all my colleagues in the Ministry of Youths and Sports," Nahrawi stated here, Thursday.

He was stepping down from office because he had to focus on dealing with the alleged bribery case, Nahrawi said in his statement. The Eradication Corruption Commission (KPK) named him as a suspect because he failed to show up at the commission's office on three occasions in connection with the probe.

Despite being named in the scandal, Nahrawi said he was not involved and called on people to respect the value of "innocent until proven guilty" by the court.

"We must wait for the KPK to show proof because I am far from what I have been accused of by the anti-graft body," he stated.

In his resignation, Nahrawi also said he would cooperate with the KPK in clearing his name. "As a law-abiding citizen, I will follow the rules," he added.

Nahrawi had allegedly accepted Rp26.5 billion (US$1.9 million) in bribes from the National Sports Committee and the head of Satlak Prima, a national program for elite athletes, in 2018. The cash, KPK stated, was used for the minister's personal needs.

The case was revealed to the public when KONI had allegedly bribed some high-ranking ministry officials such as Mulyana, Adhi Purnomo and Eko Triyanto. Other officials who had been named as suspects in the bribery case include a former KONI secretary general Ending Fuad Hamidy and KONI treasurer Johnny E. Awuy. (INE)
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EDITED BY INE

Translator: Asep Firmansyah/Genta Tenri Ma
Editor: Suharto
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