Bengkulu mayor's aide held for arson<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Police said on Tuesday they had arrested a police adjutant
\nassigned to Bengkulu Mayor Chalik Effendi in connection with an
\nalleged arson attack on the official residence of local chief
\nprosecutor Rusdi Taher.<\/p>\n
The adjutant, 26, identified only by his rank and initials,
\nFirst Brig. SN, is being held on charges of masterminding the
\narson on Dec. 9, Bengkulu Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. M. Elia WM
\nwas quoted by Antara as saying.<\/p>\n
\"Three other suspects we had arrested earlier -- Spo, Sub and
\nElf, who perpetrated the attack -- confessed to being ordered by
\nSN,\" Elia added.<\/p>\n
He said the three suspects had complained they could not
\ncondone being detained while the mastermind remained free.<\/p>\n
The adjutant, a member of the Bengkulu Police force, was
\nofficially detained at around 12 a.m. on Monday, shortly after
\naccompanying Chalik to an event at Fatmawati Soekarno Airport,
\nBengkulu, Elia said.<\/p>\n
Rusdi had recently declared Chalik a suspect in a graft scam
\ninvolving a Rp 7.6 billion fund for 19 local development
\nprojects.<\/p>\n
Police are investigating the possibility that the charged
\nmayor was implicated in the arson case.<\/p>\n
The chief prosecutor had also named 30 members of the 1999-
\n2004 Bengkulu legislative council as suspects in a separate
\ncorruption case involving more than Rp 2 billion from the
\nmunicipal budget.<\/p>\n
He added that the Spo, Sub and Elf had been promised around Rp
\n50 million (US$5,555) by SN to set fire to the residence of
\nRusdi, head of the Bengkulu Prosecutor's Office, but the adjutant
\ndid not fulfill his end of the deal.<\/p>\n
\"The three only received Rp 2.3 million for operational costs
\nand Rp 7.3 million after the crime,\" Elia said.<\/p>\n
No fatalities were reported in the fire, but two cars, two
\nmotorcycles and furniture were damaged.<\/p>\n
National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Paiman said in Jakarta
\nthat police had seized on Monday a Mitsubishi Kuda, two Suzuki
\nmotorcycles and three Nokia cell phones in connection with the
\ncase.<\/p>\n
Elia said the police were searching for another suspect who
\neluded arrest after the arson.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors working on high-profile cases have often been the
\ntarget of intimidation and death threats.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, gunmen shot dead a prosecutor who had been
\ninstrumental in jailing terrorist suspects in Palu, Central
\nSulawesi.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bengkulu-mayors-aide-held-for-arson-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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