Anticorruption activists draw ire of officials<\/p>\n
Nana Rukmana, The Jakarta Post, Cirebon, West Java<\/p>\n
Local prosecutors have brought a criminal charge against a group
\nof activists who staged a rally on Wednesday to urge a serious
\ninvestigation into corruption scandals in Cirebon, West Java.<\/p>\n
Wednesday's demonstration ended with the activists hurling
\nrotten eggs and tomatoes at the Cirebon Prosecutor's Office and
\nlowering the Red and White national flag at the compound to half-
\nmast.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said on Saturday the protesters, grouped in the
\nCoalition of Cirebon Students and Youths (KMPC), were reported to
\npolice over charges of insulting a state institution and the
\nIndonesian flag.<\/p>\n
\"Directly after the protest, we reported them to the police
\nbecause it became anarchic and they defamed a governmental
\ninstitution and the Red and White flag,\" senior prosecutor Basuki
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
He said the anticorruption activists could be charged with
\nviolating Article 154 of the Criminal Code on defamation of the
\ngovernment, which carries a maximum penalty of seven years in
\nprison.<\/p>\n
They also breached Article 154(a) of the Criminal Code on
\ninsulting the national flag, which has a maximum four-year
\nsentence, he added.<\/p>\n
Cirebon Police chief of detectives Adj. Comr. Taufik Asrori
\nconfirmed that police had received a formal complaint from the
\nprosecutors. \"It was filed on Thursday,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He said the police could not yet name the activists suspects
\nin the case, as they were reviewing the case before summoning
\nthem for questioning.<\/p>\n
\"We will examine whether the prosecutors' complaint can be
\nfollowed up,\" Taufik said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, KMPC spokesman Agung Supirno denied the charges
\nagainst him and other activists over the demonstration.<\/p>\n
The lowering of the flag was not intended to belittle the
\nnational symbol, he argued. \"The Red and White is the flag of my
\nand all other students' nation. It's impossible for us to
\ndisparage what we all respect,\" Agung said.<\/p>\n
He said the move was aimed at pressuring the prosecutors to
\nseriously investigate corruption cases in Cirebon, which had
\ncontributed to unresolved poverty problems in the country.<\/p>\n
During Wednesday's protest, the activists highlighted a graft
\nscandal involving Rp 1.3 billion (US$151,162) from the 2001
\nCirebon budget, in which all 30 councillors and former mayor
\nLesmana Suriatmadja were declared suspects; but the probe into
\ncase dragged.<\/p>\n
The demonstrators also demanded that chief prosecutor Suraini
\nDahlan relinquish her post.<\/p>\n
\"We consider her to have failed in leading the Cirebon
\nProsecutor's Office in fighting corruption. Therefore, we want
\nher to resign. Cirebon does not need a prosecutor who has no
\ncourage to eradicate corruption,\" Agung said.<\/p>\n
Ahead of the noisy protest, 19 KMPC members had staged a
\nhunger strike at the prosecutor's office from March 16 to April
\n1.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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