Deputy Interior Minister States Acting Governors Should Avoid Corruption Due to Absence of Political Burden

JAKARTA — Indonesia’s Deputy Interior Minister (Wamendagri) Bima Arya Sugiarto has stated that acting regional heads actually have no political burden and should therefore be able to avoid corruption.

Bima Arya made the remark following the arrest of former Acting Governor of South Sulawesi (Sulsel) Bahtiar Baharuddin, who has been designated a suspect in a pineapple seedling corruption case.

“The Interior Minister has consistently reminded the acting regional heads at the time that they do not have political burdens. Therefore, they should be able to avoid corruption,” Bima Arya told Kompas.com on Tuesday (10 March 2026).

“For this reason, the Interior Ministry respects the legal process underway at the South Sulawesi High Prosecutor’s Office,” said the former Bogor mayor.

Previously, investigators from the Special Crime Division (Pidsus) of the South Sulawesi High Prosecutor’s Office (Kejati Sulsel) designated six people as suspects in an alleged pineapple seedling procurement corruption case.

The suspects include former Acting Governor of Sulsel Bahtiar Baharuddin, state civil apparatus (ASN) official from Takalar Regency Government Ririn Riyan Saputra, and Hasan Sulaiman, serving as assistant to the Acting Governor of Sulsel.

The South Sulawesi High Prosecutor’s Office also designated an individual with initials UN, who serves as Procurement Officer/Budget User, as a suspect, though UN has not been detained due to being in poor health.

The case originated from a pineapple seedling procurement project by the South Sulawesi Office of Food Crops, Horticulture, and Plantations (TPHBun) in the 2024 fiscal year with a project value of Rp 60 billion.

Additionally, investigators discovered indications of fictitious procurement that resulted in state financial losses of approximately Rp 50 billion.

For their alleged actions, the suspects have been charged under Article 603 of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code in conjunction with Article 20(c) of Law Number 1 of 2023 on the Criminal Code in conjunction with Articles 18(1)(a) and (b) of Law Number 31 of 1999 on Corruption Eradication.