REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - After being named as a suspect in Hambalang sports complex graft case, Minister of Youth and Sports Andi Mallarangeng steps down from his office on Friday.

"In relation to the announcement from Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), I state my resignation before the President accompanied by Secretary Cabinet and Vice President," Mallarangeng said on the press conference on Friday.

He said that the president understood and granted his resignation. He admitted that he could not effectively run his office while he was being investigated.

"I do not want to burden president and Indonesian United Cabinet II," he said. He added that he respected KPK decision and would cooperate in the process. Mallarangeng also steps down from his post as the Secretary of the Democrat party’s board.

KPK ensured Mallarangeng as a suspect in a travel ban notification letter number 4569/01-23/12/2012 dated December 3, 2012. Deputy Chairman of KPK, Bambang Widjojanto, mentioned that Mallarangeng was banned with two others, AZM (Andi Zulkarnain Mallarangeng) and MAT (M Arief Taufiqufrahman). Mallarangeng is the first active minister in United Indonesian Cabinet II named as a graft suspect.

Hambalang is an infrastructure project for athletes worth 2.5 trillion IDR. The Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) indicates that the project inflicts losses to the country worth 243 billion IDR. The audit says that Andi Mallarangeng is related to the cause of the loss.

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