KPK Arrests Former Riau Governor Annas Maamun, 81 Years Old

Former Riau Governor Annas Maamun (Photo: Wardhani Tsa Tsia/VOI)

JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has again detained the 81-year-old former Governor of Riau Annas Maamun. This detention is related to the alleged bribery of ratifying the Draft Regional Revenue and Expenditure Budget (RAPBD) for the 2014-2015 Fiscal Year of Riau Province.

Annas Maamun was previously detained by the KPK because he was involved in a hand arrest operation. He was sentenced to 7 years and has been released because he received clemency from President Joko Widodo.

Annas has been named a KPK suspect again since 2015. There have been 78 witnesses examined in this case and investigators confiscated Rp200 million in cash.

"For the purposes of the investigation process, the investigative team made efforts to force detention for the next 20 days starting from March 30, 2022 to April 18, 2022 at the KPK Detention Center in Lot C1," said Deputy for Enforcement and Execution of the KPK Karyoto in a press conference held at the Red and White House. KPK, Kuningan Persada, South Jakarta, Wednesday, March 30.

Furthermore, Karyoto explained the chronology of Annas' detention. He said the investigator team initially forced Annas to pick up at his residence in Pekanbaru, Riau. This action was taken because the KPK considered that Annas was not cooperative in responding to the summons.

Before being detained, Annas had also been checked for health. "The result was declared healthy so AM was taken to the KPK's Red and White Building for further examination," he said.

This case began when Annas served as Governor of Riau in the 2014-2019 period and sent the Draft General Budget Policy (KUA) and the 2015 Provisional Budget Priorities and Ceilings (PPAS) to the Chair of the Riau Provincial DPRD, which was held by Johar Firdaus.

However, in the proposal it turns out that there are several items related to the budget allocation that have been changed. "Among them are the changes in the budget for the construction of livable houses, which were originally a project of the PUPR Service, to a project carried out by the Community Empowerment Agency and Village Government (BPMPD)," explained Karyoto.

Since this budget proposal has not yet been reached, Karyoto said, Annas then offered money and other facilities, such as a loan for official vehicles. The goal is that the proposal can be agreed upon.

"Furthermore, with the approval of Johar Firdaus on behalf of DPRD members, around September 2014 it was suspected that the suspect AM realized his promise by giving some money through representatives of DPRD members in the amount of around Rp. 900 million," he said.

For his actions, Annas as a bribe giver was then suspected of violating Article 5 paragraph (1) letter a or letter b or Article 13 of Law Number 31 of 1999 as amended by Law Number 20 of 2001 concerning Amendments to Law Number 31 1999 concerning Eradication of Criminal Acts of Corruption in conjunction with Article 55 paragraph (1) 1st of the Criminal Code.

In this case, the KPK has actually named several suspects. They were Johar Firdaus, who was the former chairman of the Riau Provincial DPRD for the 2009-2014 period, and Suparman, who was a member of the Riau Provincial DPRD for the 2009-2014 period and served as Regent of Rokan Hulu at that time.