Jakarta – Ratu Atut Chosiyah has been officially suspended as governor of Banten province after being indicted in a corruption case earlier this week, a government official announced on Friday.

"The letter on Atut's suspension has been signed by the president and therefore Deputy Governor Rano Karno will take over all gubernatorial duties," Home Affairs Minister Gamawan Fauzi said in Jakarta as quoted by Antara.

The suspension was a formality, with the Home Affairs Ministry typically relieving regional heads of their duties once they are indicted in a criminal case. Atut was arrested in December for bribery, but continued to run her province from behind bars until her indictment on Tuesday.

She stands accused of conspiring to bribe Akil Mochtar, then the chief justice of the Constitutional Court, to issue a favorable ruling in a dispute over the result of the election for district head in Banten's Lebak district – one of the few regions in the province not controlled by one of Atut's relatives or cronies.

The case came to light following a sting operation by the Corruption Eradication Commission, or KPK, in October that netted Akil and Tubagus "Wawan" Chaeri Wardana, Atut's brother, along with several others.

Atut and Wawan are accused of channeling Rp 1 billion, or $87,000, to Akil to overturn the local polling commission's decision awarding the Aug. 31 Lebak election win to Iti Octavia Jayabaya, the daughter of the incumbent, Mulyadi Jayabaya, and to order a re-vote. The court, without Akil at the helm, later went on to uphold the win for Iti.

Atut faces up to 15 years in prison if convicted of the bribery charge. She remains the nominal governor, albeit suspended, until she is convicted and has exhausted all channels for appeal.

Source: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/atut-finally-suspended-banten-governor/