Handcuffed, Deputy Speaker Of The House Of Representatives Azis Syamsuddin Suspect Of Mute Bribery Taken To Detention

Deputy Speaker of the Indonesian House of Representatives, Azis Syamsuddin, a bribery suspect has been detained by the KPK (Photo: Wardhany Tsa Tsia/VOI)

JAKARTA - Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Azis Syamsuddin, has remained silent after being named a suspect in the bribery case in handling corruption cases in Central Lampung by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

In an orange vest and wearing handcuffs, the Golkar Party politician did not say anything and chose to go straight to the prisoner's car. Azis Syamsuddin will be taken to the South Jakarta Police Detention Center to carry out detention for 20 days until October 13.

KPK chairman Firli Bahuri said Azis was named a suspect in the alleged bribery of handling corruption cases by the KPK in Central Lampung Regency.

"We inform you that the KPK has named brother AZ, Deputy Speaker of the 2019-2024 DPR as a suspect," Firli said at a press conference held at the KPK's Red and White Building, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Saturday, September 25.

Firli said Azis was forcibly arrested at his residence in the South Jakarta area on Friday, September 24. He said the task force that arrested the Golkar Party politician was led by the Director of Investigation of the KPK.

Azis Syamsuddin will be detained for the first 20 days at the KPK Detention Center at the South Jakarta Police Branch from September 24 to October 13. However, previously he will carry out self-isolation in the prison he occupies to prevent the transmission of COVID-19.

The alleged bribery in handling the Central Lampung case emerged when the name of the Deputy Speaker of the DPR Azis Syamsuddin was mentioned in the indictment of a former KPK investigator who brokered the Stepanus Robin Pattuju case.

In the indictment, Azis and Aliza are said to have given Rp3,099 billion and US$36 thousand. The gift is intended to deal with the bribery case in Central Lampung which is being handled by the KPK.

In addition to this case, the name of this Golkar Party politician is also implicated for his role in introducing Stepanus to the former Kutai Regent Kertanegara Rita Widyasari and the inactive Tanjungbalai Mayor M Syahrial. From that introduction, both of them asked for help from the former police investigator to take care of the case that ensnared them and is being investigated by the KPK.