TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo’s face dropped when he heard that the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) had declared the bass given to him from Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo, a form of excess gratuity.
Governor Jokowi admitted defeat and respected the anti-graft commission’s decision. However, the governor had difficulty letting go of the bass guitar because there is a big possibility that the KPK may auction off the priceless instrument.
Jokowi offered a win-win solution and suggested that the KPK place the bass in a museum. "So people will know that a bass is also included as a gratification, we can all learn from it," he said.
Jokowi received the bass guitar from an Indonesian promoter named Jonathan Liu on May 1. However, he was afraid the gift could be construed as a form of gratification and decided to hand his beloved bass to the KPK. After an investigation, it was discovered that the bass was not purely given to Jokowi by Trujillo.
Apparently, the promoter asked his friend to give him a bass signed by Trujillo. However, a person other than Trujillo wrote additional words on the bass.
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