Indonesia’s ex-top detective, who became corruption whistle-blower, arrested on bribery charge

Indonesian ex-top detective arrested in bribe case

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia’s former chief detective, who has recently exposed corruption among government and police officials, was arrested Tuesday on allegations that he accepted a bribe in 2008.

Gen. Susno Duadji was detained and questioned for several hours Monday after it was alleged that he accepted as much as 500 million rupiah ($55,000), said police spokesman Maj. Gen. Edward Aritonang.

The allegation relates to a dispute between two businessmen involved in a fish-breeding project in Riau province. A suspect in the case, Sjahril Djohan, accused Duadji of accepting the bribe while he was chief detective of the National Police Criminal Investigation Agency. It was not clear what the alleged bribe was in exchange for, as few details were available.

Duadji, who is still a serving three-star police general, was officially arrested Tuesday, his lawyer Mohamad Asegaf said. He has denied any wrongdoing and told reporters that the police team investigating his case is biased.

Duadji resigned from the post of chief detective last November amid a wave of public rage over escalating and widespread corruption. He was accused of plotting to undermine the Corruption Eradication Commission after ordering the arrest of two of members for alleged blackmail and bribery. The charges were later dropped.

Although he was silent on corruption while in the chief’s job, Duadji has since publicly exposed a tax department official, several high-ranking police officials and a judge in corruption, leading to their detentions. The tax official, Gayus Tambunan, was on the run in Singapore before being detained last month on charges of accumulating some $3.9 million in kickbacks for producing favorable tax assessments.

The whistle-blowing has made Duadji enemies, but Aritonang said the former detective’s arrest had nothing to do with his outspokenness.

“We suspect he broke the corruption law by taking bribes and gratuities,” Aritonang told reporters.

Before he was detained, Duadji’s lawyers had told reporters that he would publicize other huge corruption cases involving top officials.

Duadji’s wife, Herawati, asked President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday to pay special attention to her husband’s case.

In a related development Tuesday, a businessman was charged with corruption for his involvement in the arrests of the two corruption commission members.

Anggodo Widjojo has been accused of framing the commission members by lying about being blackmailed by them and attempting to bribe government officials, said Suwarji, a prosecutor who has only one name.

Suwarji said Widjojo faces a maximum life sentence if convicted.