JAKARTA. The immigration office has slapped a travel ban on Sunny Tanuwidjaja, who is reportedly expert staff to Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, in connection with a Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigation into a bribery case centering on the deliberation of two bylaws on reclamation.

The Law and Human Rights Ministry’s immigration directorate general spokesperson, Heru Santoso Ananta, said on Thursday that Sunny and Richard Halim Kusuma, an APL executive, had been banned from traveling abroad for six months starting on April 6.

Sunny and Richard are to be questioned as witnesses in the KPK’s investigation into APL CEO Ariesman Widjaja, who has been named a suspect on allegations of bribing a Jakarta city councillor, Mohamad Sanusi, who was arrested by KPK investigators last week, Heru added.

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Ahok denied on Wednesday that Sunny had special employment status in his administration, clarifying that Sunny was a student in Illinois, US who had been observing his political life for his doctorate dissertation since 2010, when the governor was then a member of the House of Representatives. The governor said that Sunny helped arrange his schedule in 2012 when he was paired with then gubernatorial candidate Joko “Jokowi” Widodo in the Jakarta gubernatorial election.

"He does not have a formal title, like the other interns. Everyone is free in my house,” he said, adding that Sunny is the nephew of the wife of Franky Oesman Widjaja, the son of Sinar Mas Group owner Eka Tjipta Widjaja.

Sunny’s name was mentioned by Krishna Murti, the lawyer of Sanusi, who allegedly claimed that Sunny met Ariesman with Sanusi. Ahok did not deny Sunny’s alleged meeting with Sanusi, saying that he met with many people, including members of the City Council, businesspeople and officials for his research.

Ahok says he has spoken with Sunny about the lawyer’s statement.

"Sunny told me that he did nothing. He said, 'how could I do such a thing? " Ahok said. (Callistasia Anggun Wijaya)