Ratu Atut Chosiyah

Ratu Atut Chosiyah (born 16 May 1962) is a former governor of the province of Banten, Indonesia.

Before her election as governor in 2006, she was the deputy governor under Djoko Munandar starting from 11 January 2002.

Atut firstly took office as deputy governor under governor Djoko Munandar in 2002 making her the first woman deputy governor in Indonesia.

Djoko was involved in a corruption case and was suspended from office in October 2005.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appointed Ratu Atut as the acting governor to take over Djoko's administrative duties and she later became governor.

She thus became the first female governor in Indonesia.

In 2005 Djoko Munandar was removed from office for corruption.

Atut was sworn in as acting governor in 2006 until Djoko's term ended in January 2007.

As caretaker governor, she was responsible for the preparations for the 2006 provincial election.

She decided to nominate and select Mohammad Masduki as her running mate in the deputy governor (wakil gubernur) slot.

She won the election held on 26 November 2006 and became governor for the period of 2006–2011.

She was sworn into office along with her deputy governor, Mohammad Masduki, by the minister of interior Muhammad Ma'ruf on 11 January 2007.

As governor, Ratu Atut was active in building links between political and business circles in Banten.

She supported plans for large investments to expand the Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta International Airport located within Banten province by developing and integrating a planned airport in Pandeglang.

She also involved the Banten government in active support for the proposed Sunda Strait Bridge mega project in 2009, which would have likely cost more than $US 6.5 billion (Rp. 100 trillion) if plans for the construction of the bridge had gone ahead.

Ratu Atut stood for election again in the 2011 provincial elections with former singer Rano Karno as her running mate for deputy governor.

She was supported by two of the largest political parties in Indonesia, Golkar and the PDI-P (Partai Demokrat Indonesia-Perjuangan), and won the election comfortably with 49.6% of the vote.

Initially, the vote was challenged by the losing candidates.

However, in November 2011 the Constitutional Court rejected the challenges clearing the way for Ratu Atut to become governor of Banten for a second time.

She was sworn into office for a five-year term 2012–2017 by minister of the interior Gamawan Fauzi on 11 January 2012.

2013

On 3 October 2013 Ratu Atut was forbidden from travelling overseas by the Indonesian Immigration authorities on account of a number of corruption investigations in which her family was suspected of involvement.

The imposition of the travel ban, and the reports that her brother Tubagus Chaeri Wardana (often known as "Wawan") was involved in a case of bribery involving the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, encouraged some Banten residents to stage a protest outside the Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission (Komisi Pemberantasan Korupsi or KPK) about her activities as governor of the province.

On Friday 11 October 2013 Ratu Atut, in response to an official summons, attended a session at the KPK to answer questions about the bribery case involving her brother.

Issues of possible corruption surrounding Atut's family widened significantly in late October when the KPK announced that an investigation had been launched into matters under the administration of Atut's sister-in-law, Tangerang Mayor Airin Rachmi Diani.

The investigation, into alleged irregularities in the procurement of medical equipment in South Tangerang, were said to be into matters entirely unrelated to the bribery investigation concerning Airin's husband, Tubagus Chaeri "Wawan" Wardana.

The row over issues of possible corruption in Atut's family continued to attract close media attention during November 2013.

On 17 December the KPK took the significant step of formally naming Atut as a suspect in connection with her alleged role in the suspected bribery of the chief justice of the Constitutional Court.

On 20 December, in the midst of considerable publicity, she attended a formal session at the KPK to answer questions relating to her alleged involvement in corruption.

According to press reports, around 1,000 police were mobilised to ensure order in the streets near the KPK and around 40 busloads of her supporters gathered to protest the investigation into her activities.

Later in the day, the KPK formally arrested Atut and placed her under detention.

Media reports quickly highlighted the sharp change in her personal fortunes, noting the contrast between her lifestyle as governor of Banten when she had lived in relatively lavish surroundings and conditions in the detention centre where she had been placed in Jakarta.

She was suspended from office in 2014 because of a corruption case.

She held office for several terms.

In May 2014, she was formally charged by the Indonesian Corruption Eradication Commission for alleged corruption.

In early September 2014, she was sentenced to a four-year term of imprisonment on the charges brought by the Commission against her.

In September 2022, Ratu Atut was released on parole.

2014

In early January 2014, the KPK widened investigations into Atut's family dealings in Banten.

The KPK decided to charge Ratu Atut with extortion in connection with charges that she attempted to bribe former chief justice of the Constitutional Court, Akil Mochtar, and it was announced that her brother, Tubagus Chaeri "Wawan" Wardana, would be charged with money laundering over his alleged involvement in a medical procurement program in Banten.