REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) began investigations of Karawang District Head Ade Swara and his wife Nur Latifah as suspects in corruption case on Tuesday. Both are charged with extortion over the license for PT Tatar Kertabumi to build a shopping mall in Karawang.
"Thanks God, minal aidin wal-Faizin," Ade said on arrival at the KPK building in Central Jakarta from his cell at the KPK detention house in East Jakarta.
His wife Nur Latifah, who appeared from five minutes later from her underground detention center at the KPK building refused to say anything. Ade Swara was nabbed by KPK on July 18 the day after the arrest of his wife on July 17 night.
Before the two were driven to Jakarta, KPK already arrested Ali Hamidi a relative of Nur Latifah. Ali was asked by Ade to take money from a money changer in a Karawang's shopping center where KPK officers were waiting to arrest him and his bodyguard and an employee of PT Tatar Kertabumi.
Ali was to exchange at the money changer firm 424,349 USD demanded by Ade and Nur from PT Tatar Kertabumi in exchange of the license to build the shopping mall. KPK confiscated the money and them moved to the official house of the district head Nur Latifah was arrested at the house. The district head was not at home at that time. He was arrested in very early morning in the following day.
PT Tatar Kertabumi is owned by PT Agung Podomoro Land Tbk, a big property company. PT Agung Podomoro acquired PT Tara through PT Pesona Gerbang Karawang in May 2013 at a price of 61 billion USD.