Back in September, Rita Widyasari, the regent of Kutai Kartanegara, East Kalimantan, was set to receive an anti-corruption award from a government budget monitoring agency described as being “given to regional heads or law enforcers for great service in carrying out President Joko Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla’s Mental Revolution and Nawacita programs in eradicating corruption in the Unitary State of Indonesia.”
But the day before the anti-corruption award could be presented to her, Rita was arrested by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) for allegedly receiving unlawful gratuities while in office.
The KPK recently released information about the charges facing Rita, who they suspect received IDR436 billion (US$ 34.8 million) in bribes from various entrepreneurs in exchange for favors.
KPK deputy chairperson Laode Muhammad Syarif said Rita took money from a number of businesses during her campaign with the expectation that they would be rewarded once she took office.
“In return [for their contributions], many were granted concession permits or easements because of their help during her campaign,” Syarif said yesterday as quoted by Kompas.
Rita had been a popular politician in Kutai Kartanegara, where her youthful exuberance and love of rock music made her particularly endearing to regency’s young people. She has also received several awards from the state for good governance.
However, her political background has always been tainted with corruption. Her father, Syaukani Hasan Rais, was also the regent of Kutai Kartanegara but had his second term cut short in 2007 after he was sentenced to two-and-a-half years in prison for corruption. Just like her father, Rita was named graft suspect after she was nominated to run for governor of East Kalimantan, with the next election happening in 2018.
Rita is not the only graft suspect in recent times to have also won (or nearly won) clean governance awards. In June, the KPK arrested Bengkulu Governor Ridwan Mukti, recipient of a “Noble Morals Award”, over allegations that he received bribes through his wife.
