Jakarta, Indonesianpost.com – Law and Human Rights Ministry’s Director General of Immigration Silmy Karim stated that there was no order to deter Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo with whom contact was lost after a working trip from Europe.
“Until now, the minister has not entered Indonesia,” Karim remarked on Wednesday.
He noted that the minister had left for Italy along with 22 delegations from the Ministry of Agriculture on September 24.
Their departure was an official assignment with diplomatic passports. Until now, Limpo has not arrived in Indonesia, Karim stated.
He then skirted responding to questions on Limpo’s whereabouts regarding whether he was still in Italy or had flown to another country.
“That is all the information we can provide for now,” Karim affirmed.
The minister departed from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport on September 24, for Doha, Qatar, for transit, before heading to Rome, Italy.
He was then scheduled to return from Europe on September 30 and arrive in Indonesia on October 1.
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The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) stated that the news regarding contact being lost with Limpo after a working trip would not affect the investigation into the alleged corruption case at the Ministry of Agriculture.
“We want to emphasize that we will continue to complete all the investigation work in this case,” Head of KPK’s Publication Department, Ali Fikri, remarked.
Earlier, on June 14 the KPK announced to open an investigation regarding an alleged corruption case at the Ministry of Agriculture. This information was announced by the acting head of KPK’s Enforcement and Execution Deputy, Asep Guntur Rahayu.
The KPK has also summoned Minister Limpo on June 19, to provide information regarding the alleged corruption case at his ministry.
Investigators from the KPK then conducted a search at Limpo’s official residence in the Widya Chandra Complex, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta, on September 28.
The KPK had escalated the status of an alleged corruption case at the Ministry of Agriculture to the investigation stage.