Gowa Regent Questioned for 6 Hours as Extortion Suspect, Not Detained Due to Home Ministry Rule
Baca dalam 60 detik
- Bupati Gowa Sitti Husniah Talenrang menjalani pemeriksaan perdana sebagai tersangka pemerasan dan TPPU selama hampir tujuh jam di Kortas Tipidkor Polri.
- Penyidik tidak melakukan penahanan karena Pasal 90 UU Pemerintahan Daerah mensyaratkan restu Mendagri sebelum menahan kepala daerah.
- Empat modus pemerasan terungkap, mulai dari izin tata ruang, CSR Indomaret, hingga permintaan unit rumah diskon 70 persen.
Investigators from the National Police's Corruption Eradication Corps (Kortas Tipidkor) sent Gowa Regent Sitti Husniah Talenrang home without detention after she underwent questioning as a suspect for nearly seven hours on Thursday (1/10). The decision was not because the case was deemed minor, but because investigators are bound by government administrative law procedures that require approval from the Minister of Home Affairs (Mendagri) before detaining a regional head.
Head of Operations at Kortas Tipidkor Polri, Senior Commissioner Ahmad Yusuf Afandi, explained that Article 90 of the Regional Government Law explicitly stipulates that detention of a regent or mayor can only be carried out after obtaining permission from the Mendagri. "Not detained. It is in accordance with Article 90 of the Regional Government Law that if an investigation into a regent or mayor is to proceed to detention, the approval of the Mendagri is required," Yusuf said when confirmed.
The questioning took place from 11.00 to 17.45 WIB. During that period, investigators posed 26 questions covering various aspects of the alleged extortion and money laundering (TPPU) case implicating Sitti. Although not detained, her suspect status remains and the investigation will continue.
Director of Enforcement at Kortas Tipidkor Polri, Brigadier General Robertus Yohanes De Deo, had previously disclosed four alleged extortion acts by Sitti. First, a request for compensation in the processing of the Spatial Use Activity Conformity Approval (PKKPR) to housing developers. Second, the collection of CSR funds amounting to Rp85 million from Indomaret for each new store opening. Third, a request for one housing unit at a 70 percent discount from the initial price of Rp1.4 billion as a condition for the building approval (PBG) of Royal Spring Housing. Fourth, a request for Rp100 million in sponsorship funds from Indomaret for the opening of the Beautiful Malino store, which was transferred directly to the event organizer.
"The questioning was from 11.00 to 17.45, there were 26 questions," said Senior Commissioner Ahmad Yusuf Afandi.
This case highlights the pattern of relations between regional heads and the business world that often sits in a gray zone. The modus operandi uncovered by investigators shows how licensing authority—from spatial planning to building permits—can become an instrument for seeking personal gain. The modern retail sector and property developers are the most vulnerable parties due to their dependence on regional permits.
From a legal perspective, the fact that Sitti was not detained does not mean the case will evaporate. Investigators still have room to complete the case files, summon other witnesses, and trace the flow of funds. However, the absence of detention could potentially create a perception that regional heads enjoy procedural protections not afforded to ordinary suspects. On the other hand, the article used was indeed designed to prevent the criminalization of sitting regional heads.
The public will be waiting to see whether Kortas Tipidkor immediately submits a detention permit request to the Mendagri or opts for other restrictive measures such as a travel ban abroad. More crucially, whether these four clusters of alleged extortion will expand to other cases given that Sitti remains actively serving as Gowa Regent. The question is, how far does the commitment to eradicating regional corruption go when administrative procedures actually slow down law enforcement steps?
