Jakarta. A judge at the South Jakarta District Court on Tuesday rejected a plea by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) Chairman Firli Bahuri to halt the ongoing criminal investigation against him.

Firli faces allegations of extortion involving then-Agriculture Minister Syahrul Yasin Limpo, who was under a KPK investigation at the time. It is claimed that Firli accepted payment in exchange for dropping the case against the minister.

Last month, the Jakarta Police designated Firli as a criminal suspect after questioning numerous witnesses, including Syahrul, who remains in KPK custody as a graft suspect.

In his plea to the court seeking exoneration from criminal charges, Firli argued that the investigation violated the Criminal Procedure Code. However, Judge Imelda Herawati dismissed his plea, stating that the investigation against him was conducted in accordance with existing regulations. Additionally, she noted that Firli had presented evidence irrelevant to the case.

"The pre-trial motion is entirely rejected," declared the judge.

Firli, 60, was elected as the KPK chairman by the House of Representatives on Dec. 20, 2019, for a five-year term, following an extensive career within the Indonesian Police.

Two years ago, he reached retirement age as a police commissioner general. Despite this, Firli continued his duties as the KPK chairman until his recent removal amidst the ongoing investigation.