KPK rejects request for Hambit Bintih's inaugurate

Jakarta (Antaranews Bogor) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has rejected the Gunung Mas district's legislative assembly's request to inaugurate Hambit Bintih as the new head of the Central Kalimantan district.

Hambit Bintih is a suspect in a corruption case and is being held by the KPK at its detention house in a military police complex in Guntur, Manggarai, East Jakarta.

"With regard to the Gunung Mas legislative assembly's request, the KPK leadership has taken a stance against the inauguration," KPK spokesman Johan Budi stated in a text message here on Thursday.

"The KPK's reply will be immediately sent to the DPRD (Gunung Mas legislative assembly)," he added.

The Constitutional Court has declared Hambit Bintih along with his running mate, Arton S. Dohong, as the winners in the dispute over the results of the district election held in October.

With regard to the dispute, Hambit had allegedly bribed the former Constitutional Court Chief Justice Akil Mochtar, through Chairun Nisa, Akil's colleague from the Golkar Party, when Akil was a member of the House of Representatives prior to becoming a chief justice.

Chairun Nisa and a businessman from Kalimantan, Cornelis Nhalau, were about to pay the bribe worth Rp3 billion to Akil, when the KPK investigators caught them red-handed and arrested them at Akil Mochtar's official residence.

Johan Budi noted that the KPK has received two letters in connection with Hambit Bintih's inauguration. The first letter is a request from the Gunung Mas legislative assembly and the other from the Ministry of Home Affairs, which contains a copy of the decree for the inauguration of Hambit Bintih as the district head and Arton S. Dohon as his deputy.

"The request for the inauguration came from the DPRD, rather than the Ministry of Home Affairs," he added.

Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi has reiterated that he will go ahead with the plans to inaugurate Hambit Bintih despite the latter's status as a suspect.

The inauguration is planned to take place at the detention house, but a permit is yet to be received from the KPK.

In the meanwhile, KPK Deputy Bambang Widjojanto has expressed his regret over the minister's decision.

He admitted that the inauguration is not against the law, but in view of Hambit's status of soon becoming a defendant, the inauguration would then hold no value.