Former Social Minister Idrus Marham Detained By KPK In Today's Memory, 31 August 2018

JAKARTA Memories of today, six years ago, August 31, 2018, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) officially arrested the former Minister of Social Affairs (Mensos), Idrus Marham. The arrest made Idrus use an orange jacket in the style of the KPK.

Previously, Idrus stumbled upon a corruption case. He is suspected of being involved in the alleged bribery case of the 35 thousand megawatt power plant project, PLTU Riau-1 in Riau Province. This involvement made Idrus immediately resign from his position as Social Minister.

Idrus Marham is not a new politician in the world of Indonesian politics. His work as a top official of the Golkar Party amazed him. This condition made President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) entrust the seat of the Minister of Social Affairs to him on January 17, 2018.

Idrus immediately changed the position of Social Minister who was previously held by Khofifah Indar Parawansa. Jokowi also hopes that Idrus can bring progress as Social Minister. Idrus is considered to be able to increase the lives of the Indonesian people. However, the hope is only hope.

Idrus is actually sad. He is suspected of stumbling over a corruption case. Idrus allegedly received a gift or promise from Johannes Budisutrisno Kotjo, who is a shareholder of Blackgold Natural Resources Limited in 2017.

The money was allegedly to smooth out the process of signing cooperation related to the construction of the Riau-1 PLTU. News of Idrus' involvement surfaced. The KPK found this involvement from a number of new facts: witnesses, letters, and appointments.

Idrus was also the first active minister of the Jokowi government to be suspected of corruption. Idrus felt bad. Idrus considered his status to be a suspect soon. He immediately chose to resign from the position of Minister of Social Affairs on August 24, 2018.

Idrus himself delivered his letter directly to President Jokowi. The resignation was carried out as a form of moral responsibility. Then, Jokowi immediately replaced Idrus with his colleague in the Golkar Party, Agus Gumiwang Kartasasmita.

Idrus admitted that he received a notification letter starting from the Corruption Eradication Commission in the bribery case of the Riau-1 Mining Mouth Steam Power Plant (PLTU MT) project the day before. Idrus' status, who has been examined three times as a witness, also rose to become a suspect. He is the first active minister in the era of President Joko Widodo's administration who became a KPK suspect.

The announcement of Idrus was faster than the KPK, which stated that he was a suspect in the evening. The KPK suspects that Idrus had received an appointment of USD 1.5 million from the owner of BlackGold Asia Resources Pte Ltd, Johannes Budisutrisno Kotjo, if he helped his company get the PLTU Riau-1 project worth USD 900 million. At that time, he was the acting General Chair of the Golkar Party. This case involved a close person to Idrus, Eni Maulani Saragih, who is also a banyan party politician," said Hussein Abri Dongoran in his writing in Tempo magazine entitled Former Minister of Social Affairs, Idrus Marham: I Don't Receive Money (2018).

Idrus may have been named a suspect on August 24, 2018. However, that does not mean he was immediately detained. Idrus only officially became a KPK detainee on August 31, 2018. Idrus arrived at the KPK building at 13:37 WIB.

After that, Idrus left the examination room at 18:29 WIB. Idrus came out wearing a typical corrupt vest in the style of the KPK, an orange vest. The detention carried a stir throughout Indonesia.

"He was detained for the first 20 days at the KPK Detention Center," said KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah as quoted by the Kompas.com website, August 31, 2018.