The president has signed the resignation letter of Imam Nahrawi as the youths and sports minister, and (he) appointed Hanif Dhakiri to replace Nahrawi
Bogor, W Java (ANTARA) - President Joko Widodo named Minister of Manpower Hanif Dhakiri as the Acting Minister of Youths and Sports, here Friday, following the resignation of former minister Imam Nahrawi in a bribery scandal.

"The president has signed the resignation letter of Imam Nahrawi as the youths and sports minister, and (he) appointed Hanif Dhakiri to replace Nahrawi," the State Secretary, Pratikno, stated at the Bogor Presidential Palace. The state secretary explained that President Widodo (Jokowi) chose Dhakiri because of his political background. Like Nahrawi, Dhakiri had been proposed by the National Awakening Party (PKB) which has backed Jokowi during both his terms in office.

Nahrawi announced his resignation, Thursday, after he was named as a suspect in a bribery case involving the National Sports Committee (KONI) by the Eradication Corruption Commission (KPK) Wednesday.

Related news: Minister Nahrawi steps down after being named graft suspect

He was stepping down from office because he had to focus on dealing with the alleged bribery case, he said. The 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.

Nahrawi had allegedly accepted Rp26.5 billion (US$1.9 million) in bribes from KONI 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.

Related news: Sports minister apologizes while resigning in bribery scandal
Related news: RI apologizes to Malaysia for clash during World Cup's qualification

Translator: Bayu Prasetyo/Genta Tenri Mawa
Editor: Sri Haryati
Copyright © ANTARA 2019