Indonesian Minister arrested for graft in lobster seed export case

Jakarta : Indonesian Minister for Maritime and Fishery Affairs Edhy Prabowo has been arrested on charges of corruption related to a controversial policy to resume exports of baby lobsters. At a press conference held at the commission’s headquarters in Jakarta on Wednesday evening, the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) senior officials said Prabowo and his colleagues have allegedly received bribes amounting to at least 9.8 billion rupiahs (695,655 US dollars) from exporters who took advantages from his decision to lift the ban on lobster larvae export.

Early on Wednesday, the Minister along with his wife and a number of people were detained by the anti-graft officials at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport after a working visit to the United States. As many as seven people, including the minister, have been named suspects after several hours of interrogation. Prabowo made a public apology for his wrongdoing after the KPK’s press conference. Indonesian President Joko Widodo has appointed Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan as an ad interim Maritime and Fishery Affairs Minister.