Kupang Mayor reported for alleged corruption<\/p>\n
Yemris Fointuna and Rusman, The Jakarta Post, Kupang\/Samarinda<\/p>\n
A non-governmental organization has reported Kupang Mayor Samuel
\nKristian Lerik to the local prosecutor's office for allegedly
\nmisappropriating Rp 1.4 billion (US$148,936) of the municipal
\nbudget.<\/p>\n
The corruption charge was leveled at the mayor following a
\nrecent finding that there was an inconsistency in the
\naccountability speech given by the mayor, said Sarah Lery Mbuik,
\nthe chairwoman of the Association of Initiative Development and
\nPeople's Advocacy (PIAR).<\/p>\n
The mayor said in the report that the municipal government had
\nspent a contingency fund amounting to Rp 13.4 billion last year.
\nThe fund, obtained from the central government, was spent to
\nfinance routine expenditure such as the salaries of civil
\nservants.<\/p>\n
But, when PIAR checked with the Budget Directorate at the
\nMinistry of Finance in Jakarta, it was discovered that the
\nministry had dispersed a contingency fund amounting to Rp 14.9
\nbillion to the municipal government, much more than the mayor
\nclaimed in the accountability report.<\/p>\n
\"There is a difference of Rp 1.5 billion. Where did the money
\ngo?\" asked Mbuik on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Rudi Prayitno, the deputy chief of East Nusa Tenggara
\nProsecutor's Office, said that his office had received the NGO's
\nreport and pledged to follow it up.<\/p>\n
Earlier, the mayor has denied any wrongdoing and even
\nthreatened to report the NGO to the police for defamation.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in the neighboring province of West Nusa Tenggara,
\na local prosecutor's office here named suspect a senior local
\npolitician on Tuesday in a Rp 24.2 billion (US$2.6 million) graft
\ncase.<\/p>\n
Maryadi, a senior prosecutor, accused Sunardi Ayub, the head
\nof West Nusa Tenggara Legislative Council, of having taken Rp 850
\nmillion out of a total Rp 24.2 billion in funds, which had
\nalready been declared evidence in another corruption case.<\/p>\n
With Ayub's consent, the Rp 850 million was then distributed
\nto all provincial councillors, said Maryadi, as reported by
\nAntara news agency. The West Nusa Tenggara Prosecutor's Office
\nhas already named 11 councillors suspects and investigation into
\nother councillors is underway.<\/p>\n
Separately in the East Kalimantan capital of Samarinda,
\nprosecutors here questioned on Tuesday Kasyful Anwar As'ad, a
\nformer councillor in the province in connection with the
\nmisappropriation of Rp 51 billion of the council's budget last
\nyear. Kasyful, the former deputy speaker of East Kalimantan
\nprovincial council, was questioned as a witness in the case.<\/p>",
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