Indonesian minister to resign over bribery case

Indonesia's minister for marine affairs and fisheries announced Thursday he would step down after being named a suspect in an alleged graft case.

Edhy Prabowo was arrested on Wednesday by the country's anti-corruption agency in connection with a violation of lobster seed export policy.

He also declared he would resign from his position as deputy chairman of the Great Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), formerly an opposition to the ruling party.

"I will resign as the deputy chairman. Also later, I will resign from my position as a minister and I am sure the process is underway," he told reporters in a news conference.

The minister admitted that he was fully responsible for what happened and would follow the legal process "with a big heart."

"I am responsible for all of this. I did not run away and I will reveal everything that happened," he said.

The Corruption Eradication Commission on Thursday named Prabowo and some other officials as suspects in the alleged bribery case relating to the export of lobster seeds.

He is suspected of receiving a bribe of $100,000 from an exporter and transferring 3.4 billion Indonesian rupees ($240,678) to the bank account of his wife's assistant, allegedly taken from exporting companies.

The agency's deputy chairman Nawawi Pamolango said they found evidence of luxury goods purchases worth 750 million rupees on Nov. 21-23 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Prabowo issued a permit to export lobster seeds in May in violation of a ban imposed by his predecessor, Susi Pudjiastuti.