Inquiry into Lampung council corruption case proceeds<\/p>\n
Oyos Saroso, The Jakarta Post, Bandar Lampung, Lampung<\/p>\n
Prosecutors will investigate irregularities amounting to Rp
\n23.5 billion (about US$ 2.7 million) at the Lampung provincial
\ncouncil, overcoming initial hesitation to probe the matter after
\nthe Supreme Court repealed a regulation governing fund use by
\ncouncils.<\/p>\n
Councillors allegedly violated government regulation No.
\n110\/2000 on the use of funds for regional councils.<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, the Supreme Court repealed the regulation,
\ncausing prosecutors to reconsider investigating the case.<\/p>\n
But Supreme Court Chief Justice Bagir Manan cleared up the
\nmatter.<\/p>\n
"The legal process against members of the Lampung council
\nsuspected of misusing Rp 23.5 billion in state funds can still be
\ncarried out," he said during a visit to Lampung on Thursday.<\/p>\n
He said the Supreme Court may repeal a regulation, but the
\ngovernment still had the right to make use of it.<\/p>\n
"It means the government regulation remains effective as long
\nas the home minister continues to make use of it," he explained.<\/p>\n
The Supreme Court repealed the regulation after regencies said
\nits content contradicted their bylaws on the use of council
\nbudgets. However, the decision has yet to be sanctioned by the
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
The deputy chief of the Lampung Prosecutor's Office, Darmono,
\nsaid his office had questioned the council's secretary Masyono
\nNawai as the first witness and further investigation would
\nfollow. "We have enough evidence, we just need to gather more
\ninformation and analyze it," Darmono said.<\/p>\n
The alleged graft was first reported by the Lampung
\nDevelopment Finance Comptroller (BPKP) last month. BPKP recorded
\nirregularities in the use of the council's budget amounting to Rp
\n9.5 billion in 2001 and another Rp 14 billion in 2002.<\/p>\n
It said use of the council's budget was not in line with
\ngovernment regulation No. 110.<\/p>\n
But Lampung Council Speaker Abbas Hadisunyoto denied that the
\nmoney had been misused. When drafting the council's budget, he
\nsaid, they also referred to bylaw No. 4\/1999, which covers a
\nnumber of budget items not regulated under government regulation
\nNo. 110.<\/p>\n
He said the council could not be charged with embezzlement for
\nusing the bylaw for budget items outside those listed under
\nregulation No. 110.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/inquiry-into-lampung-council-corruption-case-proceeds-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}