Ratu Atut’s Arrest

The Jakarta Globe, December 26, 2013.




Whilst Jakarta’s traffic may crawl along at a snail’s pace, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) runs as fast as the sprinter Usain Bolt.

Indeed, whom the KPK hauls in and why has become a key factor in next year’s parliamentary and presidential polls. Certainly their determination to get to the bottom of a major scandal surrounding the $118 million Hambalang sports complex in West Java has torpedoed the fortunes of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s Democrats, with recent polls showing that their electability has plunged from 21 percent in the 2009 parliamentary elections to around 7 percent currently.

With last week’s dramatic detention of Banten’s lady Governor (and Golkar Party cadre) Ratu Atut, some observers are beginning to wonder whether the travails of the influential Chasan Sochib clan could derail Golkar in a similar fashion.

As the veil-wearing Atut, the eldest daughter of the late Chasan Sochib, was escorted away (in her bright orange “suspects” jacket) to spend the night in a cell with 15 other suspects, Indonesians gasped in surprise. Most had viewed the dulcet-toned but imposing lady politician as an “untouchable” — someone beyond the reach of the law.

However, the KPK was implacable in calling for her detention because it feared she would destroy evidence and interfere with witnesses. In making this bold decision, the agency disregarded the many hundreds of her angry supporters thronging the KPK premises. These guys are tough.

Needless to say, Atut, who’s been in power since 2007, has built up an impressive political machine, backed all the while by her late father’s loyalists. But her demise became almost inevitable when her brother Tubagus Wawan was caught red-handed in attempting to bribe the head of the Constitutional Court, Akil Mochtar, at his Jakarta home on Oct. 2.

Wawan’s case unraveled very quickly as the extent of his enormous personal wealth became known — underground garages stuffed with luxury sports cars. Given Banten’s relative poverty, Indonesians were immediately intrigued at the extent to which his case was connected to his sister’s political interests. When it became known that Wawan had been endeavouring to subvert the outcome of a hotly contested election in Lebak (a district in Banten) — it became clear that the siblings were working hand-in-glove. Atut is also a suspect in a corruption case involving Rp 30 billion worth of mark-ups on medical equipment.

Could these scandals undermine the “banyan tree” party’s growing popularity nationwide?

First, Golkar has been enjoying a boost in its ratings, reaching 17 percent in recent surveys — a level of support that eclipses the Democrats and at times even matches Megawati Soekarnoputri’s PDI-P.

Second, Golkar has an institutional advantage over the Democrats. Formed during the Suharto era, the party has established deep cultural roots in the community, especially outside Java.

Third — unlike the Democrats, and this is a very important distinction — Golkar has rarely campaigned on a platform of “clean government.” Hence it will probably be able to avoid charges of hypocrisy now that the spate of scandals has been exposed in Banten. At the same time, the party has long traded on its ability to bring development and prosperity to the provinces.

Fourth, Golkar isn’t dependant on any one figure. Former leaders such as Jusuf Kalla, Wiranto and Surya Paloh have all left its mainstream without shaking the party’s core viability and popularity. In essence, Golkar leaders will come and go and Atut, arguably, is no exception.

So while the setback in Banten could dent the party’s electability, it’s unlikely that this trend would be duplicated beyond Java. With 2014 just around the corner, Indonesia-watchers should sit back, relax and enjoy the show: there are going to be a lot more surprises to follow.


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Banten Governor Ratu Atut Chosiyah told her sister, Ratu Tatu Chasanah, that she would accept a dismissal from her position as provincial governor.

“Bu Atut said ‘go ahead, leave it to the Regional Legislative Council to work out the regulation,’” Tatu said at the offices of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Wednesday.

But she insisted that the dismissal of her sister had to be conducted in accordance with the law.

“There’s a law in place regulating when officials should be suspended,” Tatu said.

The KPK has charged Atut over the graft-ridden procurement of medical equipment in Banten and a bribery case surrounding an election dispute in the province’s district of Lebak.

The KPK also implicated the former Constitutional Court chief justice, Akil Mochtar, in the Lebak district bribery case.

On Tuesday, the Banten Legislative Council decided that Atut should remain the provincial governor despite her detention by the KPK.

Council leaders, namely speaker Aeng Haerudin and his four deputies, held a private meeting in Serang, Banten, on Tuesday. They decided Atut should remain the governor as she has only been named a suspect by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), and her case had not yet been brought to court.

“Council leaders have agreed that Ratu Atut should remain the Banten governor, although protests have been staged in a number of places demanding that she steps down,” Aeng told news portal liputan6.com.

Protesters have called on the Banten legislature to exercise its interpellation right, in terms of which it would run a parliamentary procedure demanding that Atut explains her actions.

Their hope is that an interpellation would feed into an impeachment.

“If the government still runs well, no interpellation right should be exercised,” Aeng said.

He added that Atut could still perform administrative duties, such as signing important documents, from behind bars at the KPK’s detention facility in Pondok Bambu in East Jakarta.

Aeng also said the Banten legislature agreed that Rano Karno should, in the meantime, remain Atut’s deputy, and that he should take over some of the duties Atut cannot perform while in detention.

On Tuesday, following a direct order from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Rano inaugurated Arief Rachadiono Wismansyah, the new mayor of Tangerang, and his deputy Sachrudin.

The inauguration ceremony had been delayed five times since November because Atut repeatedly canceled the ceremonies. Last week’s inauguration was called of at the last moment when Atut said she was feeling under the weather.

“I cried while installing the mayor and deputy mayor because the city of Tangerang now has a leader after [the inauguration] was delayed for so long,” Rano told liputan6.com.

Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi said last week that Atut could not yet be suspended as governor because she had only been named a suspect in the two corruption charges.

Under Indonesian law, state officials can only be suspended from their positions after they have become defendants in a criminal case. Furthermore, they can only be dismissed from their jobs once they’ve been convicted.

The KPK is considering whether to move Atut from the Pondok Bambu jail to the Guntur penitentiary, a commissioner said on Monday.

KPK deputy chairman Bambang Wijoyanto said the move would depend on the completion of a renovation to the detention facility in Guntur to increase its holding capacity.

“If the Guntur jail is completed, it would be easier to manage,” Bambang said.

He added that the shift had yet to be initiated.

Bambang also mentioned that the transfer was expected to happen over the next few weeks.

She will be detained at the Pondok Bambu jail for the first 20 days and may be transferred later



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.....She will be detained at the Pondok Bambu jail for the first 20 days and may be transferred later....


Detained into jail was Ratu Atut
She played the game of "catut"
Sentenced by the judge who sealed it with a Kentut.

Now her sister is offering : Hey Mister mister,
you wanna see pictures of my jailed sister?

You know, she had mata duit as big as a keranjang
and now she eats simple sayur kacang panjang.