Anticorruption commission detains two senior government officials<\/p>\n
Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on Tuesday detained
\ntwo senior government officials allegedly involved in a 2002
\ngraft case, with the commission preparing to bring the case to
\nthe Anticorruption Court.<\/p>\n
Former finance division head of the directorate-general for
\nmarine transportation of the Ministry of Communications, Harun
\nLetlet, and former secretary of the directorate, Tarsisius Walla,
\nare in detention at the Salemba Penitentiary in South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Their cell is located nearby that for suspended Aceh Governor
\nAbdullah Puteh, who is a defendant in a separate graft case
\ninvolving the purchase of a Russian Mi-2 helicopter by the Aceh
\nadministration in 2001.<\/p>\n
KPK has declared both men as suspects in a corruption case
\nlast year worth over Rp 10 billion (US$1.09 million).<\/p>\n
The Communications Ministry suspended the two officials late
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
They were both allegedly involved in marking up the price of
\n14.5 hectares of land purchased by the Ministry of
\nCommunications, which resulted in the state losing over Rp 10
\nbillion. The land, in Tual, Maluku, was bought to develop a
\nseaport.<\/p>\n
In the arrest warrant signed by KPK chairman Taufikurrahman
\nRuki, both will be detained for 20 days. The detention period
\nmay be extended until such time as the case is presented to the
\nAnticorruption Court, and is expected to be the court's second
\ncase.<\/p>\n
Lawyer Petrus Selestinus, a former member of the Civil
\nServants' Wealth Audit Commission (KPKPN), blasted the commission
\nfor detaining his clients.<\/p>\n
\"They said that the detention move was due to concerns that my
\nclients might flee or destroy evidence. My clients have been
\nvery cooperative to date,\" he told reporters at the KPK office.<\/p>\n
On the advice of their lawyers, both Harun and Walla have
\nrefused to sign detention warrants or any other documents.<\/p>\n
\"We will launch a motion against their detention to the
\nCentral Jakarta District Court because we believe it is a civil
\ncase that does not require detention,\" Petrus said.<\/p>\n
KPK refused to comment on the detention of either suspect. It
\nwas not known when the commission will hand over the case to the
\nAnticorruption Court for prosecution.<\/p>\n
Dubbed a \"super agency\", many hope the commission will be able
\nto reduce the level of corruption in the country, considered
\namong the most corrupt nations in the world.<\/p>\n
The government of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has
\ndeclared the cases involving Puteh, Harun and Walla as immediate
\ntargets in its anticorruption campaign.<\/p>",
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