Aceh governor ready for corruption investigation<\/p>\n
Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam<\/p>\n
Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam Governor Abdullah Puteh said on Thursday
\nhe was ready to face questioning by the provincial martial law
\nadministration for his alleged role in several corruption cases.<\/p>\n
\"As an Indonesian citizen who is not immune to the law, any
\nperson must accept (questioning) if he or she needs to be
\ninvestigated legally. This includes me if necessary,\" Puteh said
\nin the provincial capital of Banda Aceh.<\/p>\n
He made the statement amid widespread speculation in Aceh that
\nmartial law authorities would summon him soon for questioning
\nover alleged graft offenses.<\/p>\n
The speculation came after authorities arrested local finance
\nbureau head TM Nizan in Puteh's administration on April 10.<\/p>\n
Nizam was being questioned by intelligence officers of the
\nAceh martial law authority following a report by the Development
\nFinance Audit Body (BPKP) the Puteh administration embezzled Rp
\n30 billion (US$3.5 million) in funds for electricity equipment
\nprocurement.<\/p>\n
Other local senior officials, including the governor, could
\nalso be implicated in the case following the detention of Nizam.<\/p>\n
Puteh denied being involved in corruption scandals in his
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
\"I have always coordinated with the Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam
\nlegislative council in creating projects. I have never done it
\nunilaterally,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Spokesman for the martial law authority Col. Ditya Sudarsono
\ndeclined to say whether his office would soon summon Puteh for
\nquestioning.<\/p>\n
However, Ditya said his office had been given the authority to
\narrest or detain corruption suspects since Aceh was placed under
\nmartial law in May 2003.<\/p>\n
\"We have never committed violations when arresting civil
\nservants in this (Nizam's) case,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said his office would appoint corruption investigators at
\nthe recommendation of the Aceh Prosecutor's Office, who would
\nlater hand over the dossiers of suspects to police before they
\nwere taken to court.<\/p>\n
Aceh is seen as one of the country's most corrupt provinces.
\nMany of the local government's policies are perceived not to have
\ndelivered help to the people of the troubled region, which has
\nhad an ongoing separatist rebellion since the 1970s.<\/p>\n
Nasir Djamil, a member of the Aceh legislative council,
\nadmitted graft cases were rampant in the resource-rich province
\nbut had never received serious scrutiny by the local authorities.<\/p>\n
\"It's the prerogative of the martial law administration to
\nquestion all those involved and it is important to restore public
\ntrust in the government,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Apart from the electricity equipment purchases, other projects
\nof Puteh's administration have also sparked corruption
\nallegations in Aceh.<\/p>\n
These include the Gema Assalam development project for the
\npoor, worth Rp 70 billion; the procurement of a cargo ship on Weh
\nIsland, valued at Rp 8.6 billion; and the budgeted Rp 103 billion
\nin humanitarian aid for flood victims.<\/p>\n
More than 4,000 of the 6,000 villages in the province were
\nstill classified as poor, Nasir said.<\/p>\n
\"Huge funds have been allocated from the budget to fight
\npoverty. But most villages remain poor. Where has the money gone?
\nIt must have been corruption,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/aceh-governor-ready-for-corruption-investigation-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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