Medan. A former regent in North Sumatra, who had been a corruption suspect since last month, was arrested after being nominated for reelection by the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P).

Zahir, the former regent of Batubara, was accused of corruption related to the recruitment of contract employees during his tenure. He was arrested at his home on Tuesday, just two weeks after visiting the Batubara District Police to obtain a police clearance certificate -- one of the requirements for his candidacy. This sparked criticism online, as many questioned why local police allowed the fugitive to visit their office without being detained.

The North Sumatra Provincial Police said they moved to arrest Zahir after he repeatedly failed to respond to police summonses for interrogation.

“The suspect ignored two summonses, prompting the North Sumatra Police to issue an arrest warrant,” police spokesman Hadi Wahyudi said on Wednesday.

Hadi denied allegations of political motivation behind the arrest, noting that five other suspects in the same corruption case had already gone to trial. Zahir, 55, served as Batubara regent from 2018 to 2023.

Rony Talempesy, head of PDI-P’s legal team, called for Zahir’s release so he could contest the local election. He cited a joint circular from the National Police chief and the attorney general, which states that legal proceedings against election candidates should be suspended until the election is over.

"PDI-P stands firmly for law enforcement, but when legal measures are weaponized for political purposes, we will defend our rights," Rony said.