The head of Indonesia's largest Islamic party was arrested on suspicion of taking bribes to help a beef importer, an official said today.

     

Luthfi Hasan Ishaaq, chairperson of the Prosperous Justice Party, was detained by officers of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) late yesterday, after his aide was allegedly caught with one billion rupiah (US$102,000) in cash in his car trunk.

The aide was detained along with two executives from beef importer PT Indoguna Utama, KPK commissioner Bambang Widjojanto said.

"There's enough evidence to name Luthfi Hasan as a suspect," he added.

Beef imports to Indonesia, in particularly from trading partner Australia, are tightly regulated by the government.

- dpa