Mahfud MD Calls the Government Preparing a Replacement for Lukas Enembe Arrested by the KPK

Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud MD. (Doc of Coordinating Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs)

JAKARTA - Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD, said the government has prepared an interim official to replace Papua Governor Lukas Enembe who was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

"Yes, there are already alternative steps. The point is, the government must not be stuck. The government must keep going", said Mahfud MD during a press conference monitored from Kemenko Polhukam's YouTube account, Wednesday, January 11.

According to Mahfud, the government has long prepared alternative steps that are legally correct.

"We have spoken with the Ministry of Home Affairs, the Commander of the Indonesian Armed Forces, the National Police Chief, the Minister of Health, and others. We have had meetings, we'll just have to wait for the next step", he explained.

Previously, the KPK had named Lukas Enembe together with the Director of PT Tabi Bangun Papua (TBP) Rijatono Lakka (RL) as suspects in cases of alleged bribery and gratuities related to infrastructure development projects in Papua Province.

Lakka allegedly handed over IDR 1 billion to Lukas Enembe after being selected to work on three infrastructure projects at the Papua Provincial Government.

The three projects are the multi-year project to improve the Entrop-Hamadi road with a project value of IDR 14.8 billion, the multi-year project to rehabilitate Integration PAUD supporting facilities and infrastructure with a project value of IDR 13.3 billion, and the multi-year environmental management project for AURI outdoor shooting venues with a project value of IDR 12.9 billion.

The KPK also suspects that the suspect, Lukas Enembe, has received other gifts as gratuities related to his position, amounting to billions of rupiah. Currently, the Corruption Eradication Committee is further developing the matter of accepting gratuities.

As for the suspect Lakka, the KPK has detained him for the first 20 days, from January 5-24 2023 at the KPK Detention Center at the KPK's Red and White Building, Jakarta.