Former Indonesian minister held for corruption

A former Indonesian Youth and Sports Minister, identified as a suspect in a corruption case involving a major sports project in West Java, was on Thursday detained by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Andi Alifian Mallarangeng was held after being questioned for more than six hours. He was taken out of the KPK building wearing a detainee's orange jacket.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I am being detained by KPK as of today. In line with the regulations of KPK, I accept my detention and hope this case can be settled quickly," he told reporters before being taken to the KPK prison.

He hoped the case would be quickly and fairly tried and he believed truth would prevail.

Andi's detention two weeks after KPK arrested constitutional court Chief Justice Akil Mochtar, that shocked the nation, on suspicion of receiving a bribe over a case involving a general election dispute in Central Kalimantan.

Until today, Andi had been questioned three times by KPK. However, he was not detained before because the commission said there was no necessity to do so.

In the corruption case over the sports project, Andi was suspected to have committed corruption which had resulted in the nation losing RM128.5 million.

Before being established as a suspect, Andi was Youth and Sports Minister in President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's cabinet and was presidential spokesman for five years.

But he resigned his cabinet post and as Parti Demokrat Supreme Council's secretary upon finding out that he had been established as a suspect. Parti Demokrat is headed by Yudhoyono.