KPK still questioning Syahrul Yasin following his arrest

Photo archive of former agriculture minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo at the KPK building in Jakarta on Thursday (October 12, 2023), for further investigation following a corruption case at the Ministry o Agriculture. (ANTARA PHOTO/Asprilla Dwi Adha/YU/rst)

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigation team is still questioning former agriculture minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo following his arrest on Thursday (October 12) evening.

"So far, the investigation team is still carrying out a series of examinations for the suspect," head of KPK's Publication Department, Ali Fikri, stated via text message on Friday.

Earlier, Limpo had arrived at the KPK Building in handcuffs, on Thursday, at around 19:16 local time, accompanied by police officers with long-barreled weapons in three black Toyota Innova cars.

The KPK picked up Limpo in an apartment in the Kebayoran Baru area, South Jakarta.

Fikri stated that the arrest had to be made after his side conducted an analysis of the development of the existing case and considered that the suspect would run away and evidence in the case would be lost.

"Last night, the suspect was in Jakarta, and he did not come to the KPK building, so we must pick him up," Fikri remarked.

However, Limpo's attorney, Febri Diansyah, said that his client was arrested and not forcibly picked up by the KPK.

"Arrest and forced pick-up are different. Information from the family present at the location said when Syahrul Yasin Limpo was taken by the KPK team, it was an arrest," Diansyah stated when met at the KPK office building on Friday.

During the arrest, his client was highly cooperative, did not argue too much, and immediately agreed to be taken to the KPK building, the attorney stated.

Earlier, on October 11, KPK's Deputy Chairman, Johanis Tanak, officially announced Limpo as a suspect in the alleged corruption case at the Ministry of Agriculture.

"By collecting public reports with information and data, we can find criminal incidents, identify, and announce suspects, namely Syahrul Yasin Limpo as Agriculture Minister for the 2019-2024 period, Kasdi Subagyono as Secretary General of the Ministry of Agriculture, and Muhammad Hatta as Director of Agricultural Equipment and Machinery at the Agriculture Ministry," he stated at a press conference at the KPK building.