Indonesia Highlights: KPK Drops Graft Case against Tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim, Wife | US, Indonesia Discuss Territorial Dispute in South China Sea | Jokowi Calls for Unity against Terrorism

KOMPAS.com – For the first time Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) dropped an investigation into a high-profile graft case in the country.

KPK has terminated the corruption case against tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim and his wife Itjih Sjamsul Nursalim on Thursday, April 1.

US Defense Minister Lloyd Austin spoke with Indonesian Defense Minister Prabowo Subianto on the phone to reaffirm the importance of the bilateral defense ties.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo urged the public to remain calm and vigilant in the wake of several terror attacks this week in Indonesia. The president, popularly known as Jokowi, stressed the importance of unity among the people to combat terrorism.

Below are excerpts from the stories in Indonesia, curated by Kompas.com editors:

KPK Drops Graft Case against Tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim, Wife

Indonesia’s Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) dropped an investigation into a graft case against tycoon Sjamsul Nursalim and his wife Itjih Sjamsul Nursalim on Thursday, April 1.

The two suspects were the ultimate shareholders of Bank Dagang Nasional Indonesia (BDNI), who allegedly misused liquidity funds provided by Bank Indonesia during the 1997-98 financial crisis. At that time, the central bank provided the Bank Indonesia Liquidity Support (BLBI) funds to protect the banking system from the crisis.

“Today we would like to announce the termination of the investigation into an alleged corruption by SN and ISN as the ultimate shareholders of Bank Dagang Nasional Indonesia (BDNI),” KPK deputy chairman Alexander Marwata told a press conference on Thursday, April 1.

Another graft case investigation against former chairman of Indonesian Bank Restructuring Agency (IBRA) Syafruddin Arsyad Temenggung, who allegedly issued paid settlement letter to Sjamsul as a BLBI obligor which caused 4.58 trillion in financial losses, has also been dropped.

The termination of corruption investigation was done for the first time by the country’s anti-graft body.

KPK said that the termination of this corruption investigation was following article 40 of Law on KPK.

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2021/04/01/19112731/kasus-blbi-kpk-rilis-sp3-penyidikan-sjamsul-nursalim-dan-istrinya.