Sitti Husniah Still Held at South Sulawesi Police Detention Center, Suspension Not Yet Filed

Former Gowa Regent Sitti Husniah Talenrang remains in detention at the South Sulawesi Police detention center after being implicated in a case of extortion and gratification related to permits in Gowa Regency for the 2025–2026 period. As of Saturday (31/10), no request for suspension of detention has been filed by her legal team, even though the health of the woman widely known as HT is reported to have declined.

The Head of Public Relations of the South Sulawesi Police, Kombes Pol Didik Supranoto, said investigators had not yet received a suspension request file. "There is no suspension. So detention continues," he said when confirmed. According to Didik, a suspension request is in fact legitimate for the defense team to file, but so far there has been no sign of such a request reaching investigators' desks.

Didik added that his office would check again with investigators to confirm whether a suspension request had been received or not. "We will check again whether it has come in or not. Earlier I had not had the chance to ask the investigators," he said.

During her detention, Sitti Husniah's health has declined and she has undergone medical treatment. "A check was carried out. Yes, she was not left untreated. Yesterday she was only checked, but she is indeed ill," Didik explained. He assured that the police continue to provide medical attention in accordance with procedure, even though her detention status has not changed.

In addition to the gratification case, Sitti Husniah has also been named a suspect in an alleged criminal act of false testimony in a divorce trial reported by her ex-husband, Muhammad Khairul Aco, at the Directorate of General Criminal Investigation of the South Sulawesi Police. The suspect designation was made last week. However, an examination originally scheduled to take place soon had to be postponed because HT's health had dropped. "The request from the legal team will be carried out, namely on 5 November," Didik said.

The case against Sitti Husniah has drawn attention because it involves a regional head who was still in office when the alleged extortion and gratification took place. Legal proceedings against regional officials in South Sulawesi often test law enforcement amid the government's efforts to clean up corruption in the permitting sector. The public will be watching whether this case is handled transparently and without favoritism, especially since the suspect has access to political and legal resources.

Procedurally, suspension of detention is indeed permitted under criminal procedure law, but it is not granted automatically. Investigators usually weigh health reasons, guarantees from a surety, and the risk of flight or destruction of evidence. So far, there is no indication that investigators will grant a suspension before the follow-up examination on 5 November.

Notably, Sitti Husniah's legal team is said to have conveyed their client's worsening condition but has not filed a formal request. This stance could be read as a legal strategy to prepare stronger arguments, or it may reflect doubt about the chances of suspension. The public is certainly waiting to see whether the next legal step will be taken before or after the examination schedule.

Going forward, two things will be decisive: first, whether a suspension request is actually filed and how investigators respond; second, whether the examination on 5 November can proceed without obstacles. If her health continues to decline, the option of treatment outside the detention center may become a new debate. How the South Sulawesi Police balance investigative needs with the suspect's right to health will reflect the professionalism of law enforcement in the region.