22.03.2012
Suspended Bekasi Mayor Mochtar Muhammad, who had ignored a deadline to surrender to antigraft authorities for detention, was arrested in a villa in Bali on Wednesday.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) had given Mochtar until 5 p.m. on Tuesday to surrender, but he ignored the deadline, as he did two summons. He was arrested at the Vila Lalu in Seminyak, southern Bali.
“He was arrested in Seminyak, Bali, around 11 a.m.,” KPK spokesman Johan Budi said.
Johan offered few details and refused to comment on when Mochtar would be flown out of Bali and back to Jakarta.
“He will not be taken to Kuningan but will directly be taken to the penitentiary,” Johan said, referring to the KPK headquarters in the Kuningan area of Jakarta.
The villa’s sales and marketing manager, Astini Surya Dewi, said the operation lasted some three hours. “Dozens of men and armed police suddenly came and asked. When I asked them, they replied that they came to take someone and that it was a state duty,” she said.
Police escorted out a man who had rented a villa, whom Astini later learned was Mochtar and had been wanted by the law.
“He was wearing a white T-shirt and kept his head down when he was taken and put into a car,” Astini said.
She said that Mochtar had checked in alone on Monday under the name Mohamad Yamin and had been carrying only one small bag.
“He filled the check-in form by himself and did not show his KTP [ID card]. I asked him how long he wanted to stay and he said about two days,” Astini said.
When asked to produce an ID card, the man said he would provide it later, but he never did.
Mochtar took a $100 a night villa with two floors and a small dipping pool.
“The villa is usually rented by honeymooners because from the second floor one can see the local scenery,” Astoni said.
During his stay, she said Mochtar appeared to have never left the villa or talked to any of the staff members. She said he ordered food from room service.
Witnesses later saw Mochtar arrive under heavy security at the Sukamiskin prison in Bandung shortly after 7 p.m.
Mochtar’s lawyer Sirra Prayuna said he had no information about his client’s arrest, saying he had only learned of it through the media.
Sirra had said on Tuesday that his client had no intention of surrendering to the KPK, arguing that he had yet to receive a copy of the Supreme Court verdict that had ordered him jailed.
Mochtar was sentenced to six years in prison and fined Rp 300 million ($33,000) after the Supreme Court overturned on March 7 a previous acquittal by the Bandung Anti-Corruption Court.
The former mayor had refused to report to serve his corruption sentence, and the KPK said it would drag him, by force if necessary, to jail if he refused to show on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court’s appeal ruling convicted Mochtar of having raided state coffers while serving as mayor of Bekasi, using public funds to pay for cars and expensive shopping sprees. He was also found to have bribed officials into awarding his city a prestigious environmental award, causing the state to lose an estimated Rp 5.5 billion.
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) had given Mochtar until 5 p.m. on Tuesday to surrender, but he ignored the deadline, as he did two summons. He was arrested at the Vila Lalu in Seminyak, southern Bali.
“He was arrested in Seminyak, Bali, around 11 a.m.,” KPK spokesman Johan Budi said.
Johan offered few details and refused to comment on when Mochtar would be flown out of Bali and back to Jakarta.
“He will not be taken to Kuningan but will directly be taken to the penitentiary,” Johan said, referring to the KPK headquarters in the Kuningan area of Jakarta.
The villa’s sales and marketing manager, Astini Surya Dewi, said the operation lasted some three hours. “Dozens of men and armed police suddenly came and asked. When I asked them, they replied that they came to take someone and that it was a state duty,” she said.
Police escorted out a man who had rented a villa, whom Astini later learned was Mochtar and had been wanted by the law.
“He was wearing a white T-shirt and kept his head down when he was taken and put into a car,” Astini said.
She said that Mochtar had checked in alone on Monday under the name Mohamad Yamin and had been carrying only one small bag.
“He filled the check-in form by himself and did not show his KTP [ID card]. I asked him how long he wanted to stay and he said about two days,” Astini said.
When asked to produce an ID card, the man said he would provide it later, but he never did.
Mochtar took a $100 a night villa with two floors and a small dipping pool.
“The villa is usually rented by honeymooners because from the second floor one can see the local scenery,” Astoni said.
During his stay, she said Mochtar appeared to have never left the villa or talked to any of the staff members. She said he ordered food from room service.
Witnesses later saw Mochtar arrive under heavy security at the Sukamiskin prison in Bandung shortly after 7 p.m.
Mochtar’s lawyer Sirra Prayuna said he had no information about his client’s arrest, saying he had only learned of it through the media.
Sirra had said on Tuesday that his client had no intention of surrendering to the KPK, arguing that he had yet to receive a copy of the Supreme Court verdict that had ordered him jailed.
Mochtar was sentenced to six years in prison and fined Rp 300 million ($33,000) after the Supreme Court overturned on March 7 a previous acquittal by the Bandung Anti-Corruption Court.
The former mayor had refused to report to serve his corruption sentence, and the KPK said it would drag him, by force if necessary, to jail if he refused to show on Tuesday.
The Supreme Court’s appeal ruling convicted Mochtar of having raided state coffers while serving as mayor of Bekasi, using public funds to pay for cars and expensive shopping sprees. He was also found to have bribed officials into awarding his city a prestigious environmental award, causing the state to lose an estimated Rp 5.5 billion.
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