N. Sumatra prosecutor's office under fire over rife corruption<\/p>\n
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan<\/p>\n
The North Sumatra legislative council lashed out at the
\nprovincial Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday for being both slow to
\nact, and easily influenced in its efforts to fight against
\nrampant corruption.<\/p>\n
In their questions during a hearing between the legislature's
\nsix commissions and Chairman Harahap, chief of the Prosecutor's
\nOffice, 12 legislators threatened to order an internal review --
\nand possible reshuffle -- unless progress was made.<\/p>\n
The allegations stemmed from investigations into large-scale
\ncorruption among provincial government officials.<\/p>\n
"The legislative council is very disappointed with the
\noffice's performance in investigating the corruption," Efendi
\nTambunan, a member of the legislature's Commission VI on social
\nand environmental affairs, said.<\/p>\n
Tambunan added that, so far, the Prosecutor's Office has yet
\nto investigate the alleged embezzlement of Rp 12 billion from
\nrelief funds intended for landslide victims in Dairi Regency last
\nyear.<\/p>\n
"Our commission gave documented abuses of power on Oct. 3,
\n2001 to the high attorney office -- but so far, no investigation
\nhas been carried out," he said.<\/p>\n
During the hearing, Tambunan handed over another copy of his
\ncommission report about the case to Chairuman.<\/p>\n
Tambunan added that the Dairi regency developed housing
\ncompounds in areas which were not affected by the disasters,
\nwhile the Salak and Kerajaan subdistricts, which were worst-hit
\nby the disasters, have still to see any financial assistance from
\nthe local administration.<\/p>\n
Hanif Ray, another member of the commission, asked Chairuman
\nto investigate the former transmigration office over the alleged
\nembezzlement of Rp 8.5 billion from several transmigration
\nprojects in Sibagindar, Dairi, last year.<\/p>\n
The corruption was detected when the commission made a field
\ntour to the housing project for Acehnese refugees in the regency
\nlast October.<\/p>\n
"Several housing compounds and camps had not been developed,
\nwhereas the former transmigration office reported previously that
\nhousing compounds and camps were already inhabited," he said.<\/p>\n
Chairuman said in his answers to the legislators' questions
\nthat his office had given priority to major cases in handling
\nmore than 130 corruption cases in the province.<\/p>\n
"Trust in me, please, we shall investigate all the cases
\nthoroughly. We are able to handle only several cases in months
\nbecause of the personnel shortages," he said.<\/p>\n
He cited the fact that his office has detained 12 officials
\nand ex-officials in its investigation into more than 20 major
\ncorruption cases.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a score of students and teachers held a
\ndemonstration in the front of the Prosecutor's Office, demanding
\nthat officials investigate the alleged mark-up of Rp 900 million
\nin fees from the 2001 national academic examination for
\nelementary and high schools in the province.<\/p>\n
The demonstrators said that Muin Harahap, chief of the local
\neducation and culture office and Karsito, chairman of the
\norganizing committee for the national academic examination, were
\nallegedly involved in the corruption case.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/n-sumatra-prosecutors-office-under-fire-over-rife-corruption-1447893297",
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