Hans Nicholas Jong, Jakarta – For some graft suspects who lived large before being detained by the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), spending time behind bars could be excruciatingly dull as fulfilling even the most basic needs has now become a major challenge.

For graft suspect in the beefgate scandal Ahmad Fathanah, life behind bars had taken a toll on his sex life.

Recently, Fathanah complained that he now abstains from being intimate with his wife, 30-year-old dangdut singer Sefti Sanustika, while spending time inside the KPK detention center at the basement of the antigraft commission's headquarters in Kuningan, South Jakarta.

The problem has come to a head with Sefti going as far as demanding the KPK to provide a special room for her to have a conjugal visit.

"Personally, I am a wife, a regular human being who has the need [to be intimate with my husband]," she told The Jakarta Post in a recent interview. "So don't consider Fathanah only as a graft suspect, but also see him and me as regular couple [who have basic needs]."

Sefti, who married Fathanah in Dec. 2011, said although the KPK allowed her and her daughter to visit Fathanah twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, it was barely enough.

"We could only visit him for two hours. Of course it is never enough. He [Fathanah] also complains about how time goes so fast during my visits."

Sefti also said that Fathanah also complained about the quality of food served by the KPK.

"The food [provided by the KPK] is enough in portion, but it does not have chili sauce. He likes spicy foods, especially my sambal terasi [shrimp paste chili sauce]," Sefti said, adding that she always cooked for her husband prior to her visit.

Fathanah is not the first KPK detainee to complain about foods served in detention. Earlier, graft convict businesswoman Siti Hartati Murdaya said she could hardly eat the food provided due to her illnesses and her being a vegetarian.

"As a vegetarian, I can only eat dry bread at the detention center. Every morning, they give me cakes containing sugar and coconut milk. These are toxic to my body. I can't eat it," she said.

Food is not the only complaint among graft detainees. Riau Governor Rusli Zaenal, who has been named a suspect by the KPK in a bribery case, has grumbled aloud about the lack of time and space for him.

Rusli said that the visiting hours the KPK set on Monday's and Thursday's made it difficult for him to carry out his job as an active governor.

"The visiting hours are just not enough, considering that he has to meet with a lot of his staff members," Rusli's lawyer Rudy Alfonso told the Post.

Rudy said that Rusli remains Riau Governor until he is convicted. "As a leader, Rusli needs time to discuss with his staffers whenever there are documents that need his signature," he said.

Rudy said that he had filed a request to the KPK to allow his client to receive guest only on Saturdays, when most of his staff members had free time to visit him. "But until now the KPK has not approved my request," he said.

Contacted separately, KPK spokesperson Johan Budi said that the antigraft body had its own rules with regards to keeping its detainees inside the detention center.

Johan said that the KPK could only provide a room for detainees and visitors to have face-to-face conversations and not for other purposes. As for Sefti's request, Johan said: "It's a room for meetings, not for sexual activities. So Sefti, please be patient," Johan said.