The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) questioned the Governor of South Sumatera Alex Noerdin related to the allegation of graft in the disbursement of the South Sumatera grant and social assistance fund. This is the second graft case implicating the key leader of the Golkar Party, who is also known as one of the closest aides of Aburizal “Ical” Bakrie. Previously, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) questioned Alex in connection with the controversial athlete’s dormitory project.
The AGO questioned Alex Noerdin last Friday (April 29) for three hours. It was his third questioning as a witness to the South Sumatera grant money and social assistance fund embezzlement case. Talking to the press after the questioning, Alex confirmed that the AGO asked him questions based on the Supreme Audit Agency’s (BPK) finding of irregularities on the disbursement of the South Sumatera grant and social assistance fund in 2013. Alex claimed that he had settled said irregularities—the exact meaning of this statement remains vague.
Alex’s lawyer Susilo Ariwibowo, meanwhile, flatly denied the allegation that Alex was involved in embezzling the grant and social assistance fund for financing a gubernatorial campaign. Note that when the grant and social assistance fund were disbursed in 2013, Alex was entering the South Sumatera gubernatorial race. Alex and his running mate Ishak Mekki, a politician from the Democratic Party, won the race. So Alex secured his second term leading the province. Alex and Ishak were endorsed by a coalition of Golkar Party, Democratic Party, PDS, and PBB.
The AGO’s investigation is added pressure for Alex. Since previously, the Governor was examined twice by the KPK in connection with graft in the Jakabaring athlete’s dormitory project. Alex’s involvement in this case has been investigated by the KPK for the past two years. In this case, all key witnesses and graft convicts such as Muhammad Nazaruddin and Mohammad El Idris have mentioned that Alex received a 2.5% fee from PT Duta Graha Indah (DGI). PT DGI is a company owned by Nazaruddin, who was the treasurer of the Democratic Party at the time, and the winner of the tender for the construction of Jakabaring athlete’s dormitory. Alex, however, has repeatedly denied all of the accusations made against him.
The question now is whether Alex could escape the AGO’s and the KPK’s investigation. If either the AGO and the KPK (or both) were to name Alex as a graft suspect, South Sumatera would definitely undergo a political change. As we all know, the Vice Governor of South Sumatera Ishak Mekki is the Chairman of the Democratic Party’s South Sumatera chapter. Ishak would be the one to take over the leadership of the province should Alex end up as a graft suspect. This should pave the way for Ishak to winning the 2018 South Sumatera gubernatorial race as he’d have two years leading the province ahead of the election. Ishak’s political party, the Democratic Party, and their party chairman former President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono (SBY) would be happy with this development.
But Ishak and his Democratic Party are not the only ones keen on winning the gubernatorial race. PDI-P, Gerindra, Nasdem, and, of course, Golkar are also eager to win the race. PDI-P, the largest political party in South Sumatera, is reportedly preparing Giri Ramanda Kiemas as their governor candidate. Giri, as you may know, is the nephew of Taufik Kiemas, the late husband of PDI-P Chairwoman Megawati Soekarnoputri. Giri currently serves as the Speaker of the provincial legislative council (DPRD) of South Sumatera as well as the Chairman of PDI-P’s South Sumatera chapter. Other than Giri, the latest report has mentioned the Police Comr. Gen. (ret) Susno Duadji trying to secure PDI-P’s support for his gubernatorial bid. Susno is a former Chief of the National Police’s Criminal Investigation Division (Bareskrim POLRI). He was once sentenced to 3.5 years for being involved in a graft case.
Gerindra, meanwhile, is reportedly preparing the Regent of Lahat Saifudin Aswari RIvai as their potential governor candidate. Aswari, who was a Golkar politician turned Gerindra politician, leads Lahat for two periods (2008-2018). As for Golkar, one of their potential governor candidates is the Regent of Muara Enim Muzakir Sai Sohar. While Nasdem, a political party of the Attorney General Muhammad Prasetyo, might not endorse their own governor candidate because they do not have enough seats in the DPRD to allow them to nominate their own candidate. Instead, Nasdem might joint other parties mentioned above.
Given that this is Alex’s second term, he will no longer be able to run in the 2018 gubernatorial election. So, even if Alex is not named a suspect, Ishak would still be able to run in the race as an incumbent. But if the AGO or the KPK were to name Alex as a graft suspect, Golkar would suffer a major blow, and others would gain from their fall.
By Haryanto Suharman
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