Induction of graft convicts angers public<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Cirebon\/Padang\/Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
The swearing in of graft convicts and suspects at the
\nlegislatures of Cirebon, Banda Aceh and Padang municipalities has
\nsparked protests among the local people.<\/p>\n
In Cirebon, hundreds of students staged a protest on Wednesday
\nafter they discovered that 11 of 30 councillors -- who had been
\ninaugurated that day for the 2004-2009 term -- were suspects in a
\ngraft case.<\/p>\n
Protesting at the Cirebon Council, the students yelled at the
\ncouncillors and demanded the 11 suspects to resign.<\/p>\n
The 11 had been reelected to the council in the April 5
\nelection, and are facing trial on charges of embezzling Rp 997.8
\nmillion (US$105,031) in operational funds from the municipal
\nbudget.<\/p>\n
The 11 represent several political parties in Cirebon,
\nincluding the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Democratic Party of
\nStruggle (PDI-P), the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the
\nNational Mandate Party (PAN).<\/p>\n
The secretary-general of the Indonesian Nationalist Students
\nMovement and coordinator of the protest, Soibary, said: \"(The
\ncouncillors cannot be trusted any more.\"<\/p>\n
He also called on other student groups and anticorruption
\nactivists in Cirebon to step up pressure against the inauguration
\nof the allegedly corrupt councillors.<\/p>\n
Separately, Cirebon Cultural Council chairman Achmad
\nSyubbanuddin Alwy proposed that the respective political parties
\nrecall the 11 councillors to restore public trust in the council.<\/p>\n
In Banda Aceh, capital of Aceh Nanggroe Darussalam province,
\nsix councillors who are defendants in a graft case are due to be
\ninaugurated in September.<\/p>\n
Despite mounting public pressure, Yusmar, the chairman of
\nBanda Aceh General Election Commission (KPU), said that the KPU
\nwould remain inaugurate them on the ground that the Banda Aceh
\ndistrict court had not handed down verdict above five years in
\njail to them. According to law, only councillors sentenced above
\nfive years in jail will be expelled from the legislature.<\/p>\n
The six councillors were arrested in May for allegedly
\nembezzling Rp 5.6 billion (US$589,473) of the Banda Aceh budget.<\/p>\n
In the West Sumatra capital of Padang, seven of the 45 members
\nof the Padang city council sworn in last Friday for the new five-
\nyear term stand accused of misappropriating Rp 10.4 billion
\n(US$1.15 million) from the 2001-2002 budget.<\/p>\n
In addition, of the 55 provincial legislators to be sworn in
\nthis month, three are former city councillors being tried by the
\nPadang District Court for their roles in the same scandal.<\/p>\n
\"The trend just goes to show that our leaders are not
\nthoroughly screened,\" said Dr. Mestika Zed, a history professor
\nat Padang State University.<\/p>\n
Mestika is also a former coordinator of the Care for West
\nSumatra Forum (FPSB), an anticorruption watchdog that uncovered
\nthe graft cases of the West Sumatra legislature and the Padang
\nmunicipal council.<\/p>\n
\"This clearly indicates the weakness of law enforcers, not
\nonly in combating corruption, but also in other cases. Why have
\nconvicts and suspects been sworn in? Their induction could have
\nbeen postponed,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Mestika also urged the public and the media to object vocally
\nand consistently against other suspects and convicts holding
\npublic office.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/induction-of-graft-convicts-angers-public-1447893297",
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