Immanuel Ebenezer was detained as part of an investigation into claims of irregularities in safety permits.
President Prabowo Subianto has campaigned against corruption both within and outside his government. (EPA Images pic)
JAKARTA: Indonesia’s anti-graft agency has arrested the country’s deputy manpower minister in connection with an investigation into alleged extortion, the agency’s deputy head said today.
Deputy minister Immanuel Ebenezer, a member of president Prabowo Subianto’s party Gerindra, became the first member of Prabowo’s cabinet to be arrested for graft.
Prabowo, who was sworn in last October, has campaigned against corruption both within and outside his government.
Fitroh Rohcahyanto, the deputy head of Indonesia’s corruption eradication commission, told Reuters that Immanuel’s arrest was related to an investigation into allegations of irregularities in the ministry’s issue of safety permits.
He provided no other details.
The manpower ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment and it was not clear if the deputy minister has been charged with any offence.
Reuters was not immediately able to contact Immanuel’s lawyer.
Last year, Indonesia was ranked at 99 out of 180 countries on global graft watchdog Transparency International’s corruption perception index.
