Graft hits two more councils<\/p>\n
Syofiardi Bachyul and Yuli Tri Suwarni, Padang\/Bandung<\/p>\n
After the Padang District Court jailed almost all 55 members of
\nthe West Sumatra legislative council last month for corruption,
\nthe provincial police are now investigating a scam allegedly
\ninvolving all 24 councillors of Payakumbuh municipality.<\/p>\n
The conviction of the 43 councillors in the province has also
\ncreated a domino effect in Garut regency, West Java, where
\nprosecutors are investigating 45 councillors or the entire
\nregency legislative council in another collective graft case.<\/p>\n
Garut Prosecutor's Office head Wenardy Darwis said on Friday
\nlocal council speaker Iyos Somantri and his three deputies, Dedei
\nSuryadi, Encep Mulyana and Mahyar Suara, had been named suspects
\nin a graft case involving Rp 6.6 billion (US$694,736) from the
\n2001-2003 budget.<\/p>\n
The four were charged because they signed documents that
\nmarked up spending for the Garut council, Darwis added.<\/p>\n
He said the remaining 41 members could also be declared
\nsuspects, pending further investigation.<\/p>\n
None of the 45 councillors were detained but the prosecution
\nhas begun seizing their personal assets that were not included in
\ntheir wealth reports submitted before assuming office.<\/p>\n
The confiscated assets would be used as hard evidence for
\ntheir alleged role in the scam, Darwis said in the West Java
\ncapital of Bandung.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, West Sumatra Police said on Friday they had
\ndetained Payakumbuh council speaker Chin Star as a suspect in a
\ngraft case, which involved more than Rp 1 billion (105,263) in
\nallowances paid to councilors out of the municipality's 2003
\nbudget. The money was misappropriated for activities not related
\nto the legislators' duties.<\/p>\n
Chin was arrested on Wednesday night for questioning, West
\nSumatra Police chief of detectives Adj. Sr. Comr. Tedjo Sularso
\nsaid in the West Sumatra capital, Padang.<\/p>\n
\"After questioning a number of witnesses, I have decided to
\ndetain him (Chin) for 20 days,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Also named as suspects were the secretary and treasurer of the
\nPayakumbuh council, but they were not detained by the police. No
\nreasons for this forthcoming.<\/p>\n
Tedjo said Chin had now been charged with embezzling at least
\nRp 167 million, and that he could not account for the money as
\nPayakumbuh council speaker.<\/p>\n
The money was suspected to have been misused by Chin to pay
\nfor a pilgrimage to Mecca and a wedding party, the chief of
\ndetectives explained.<\/p>\n
Tedjo said that apart from Chin, 23 other councillors would
\nalso be questioned at the provincial police headquarters over
\ntheir alleged roles in the suspected collective graft case.<\/p>\n
\"They will all be summoned, while the Payakumbuh council
\nsecretary and treasurer have both been declared suspects,\" he
\nadded.<\/p>\n
Tedjo said that the 23 councillors could also be charged with
\nthe same graft offenses as Chin, who is also a deputy chairman of
\nthe Payakumbuh branch of the Golkar Party.<\/p>\n
He said police investigators had uncovered prima facie
\nevidence that the councillors had breached Government Regulation
\nNo. 110\/2000 on local government finances, and two regulations on
\nlocal government budgets issued by the home affairs minister in
\n1994 and 1996.<\/p>\n
\"These findings are supported by the results of an
\ninvestigation by the Development Finance Comptroller (BPKP),\"
\nTedjo added.<\/p>\n
On May 17, the Padang court sentenced West Sumatra council
\nspeaker Arwan Kasri, his two deputies and 40 other councillors to
\nup to two years and three months in prison for embezzling Rp 6.4
\nbillion from the province's 2002 budget.<\/p>\n
All of the 43 persons convicted, out of a 55-strong council,
\nremain free pending appeal. These were the first convictions for
\ncollective graft involving legislators anywhere in the country.<\/p>\n
In a similar case, prosecutors in the West Java city of
\nCirebon have charged all 30 members of the local legislative
\ncouncil as suspects in a graft case. The investigation is still
\nunderway.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/graft-hits-two-more-councils-1447893297",
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