Indonesian pres. demands arrests explanation

The president — who was re-elected in July on the back of promises to stamp out rampant graft in one of the world's most corrupt countries — called on his police chief to offer Indonesians a reason for the arrests.

“Please explain the matter to the public to clear it up,” Yudhoyono instructed Police Chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri prior to a ministerial meeting to discuss the arrests, according to the state-run Antara news agency.

Several ministers and officials were summoned to his office for talks on the arrests Thursday of Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators Bibit Samad Riyanto and Chandra Hamzah.

The two senior anti-graft officials have been under investigation for a range of alleged crimes including bribery and abuse of power.

Their case has been front page news for weeks, along with the ongoing trial of sacked KPK chief Antasari Azhar for allegedly masterminding the murder of a businessman earlier this year.

All the KPK officials deny any wrongdoing and Azhar, a former prosecutor, has angrily complained that he is being framed.

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