NTB governor, deputy charged with corruption<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Banda Aceh<\/p>\n
Police have named West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Governor Lalu Serinata
\nand his deputy Thamrin Reyes as suspects in two separate
\ncorruption cases.<\/p>\n
NTB Police spokesman Adj. Sr. Comr. M. Basri was quoted by
\nAntara as saying on Saturday that Serinata, who was the
\nprovincial legislative council speaker at the time of the alleged
\ncrime, was being charged with misusing the 2001 and 2002
\nprovincial budgets.<\/p>\n
Thamrin, meanwhile, has been named a suspect in the marking up
\nof land clearance work to build official houses in 2002 for civil
\nservants and councillors in Sumbawa regency, Basri said.<\/p>\n
Basri said the West Nusa Tenggara Police were seeking
\npermission from President Megawati Soekarnoputri, through
\nMinister of Home Affairs Hari Sabarno, to summon the governor for
\nquestioning.<\/p>\n
A number of councillors have also been named suspects in the
\nmisuse of the 2001 and 2002 budgets. The amount of corrupted
\nmoney in not clear.<\/p>\n
Basri said the police asked Thamrin to appear at 9 a.m. on
\nTuesday for questioning as a suspect in the Rp 525 million
\n(US$58,333) land clearance project, which took place while he was
\nthe Sumbawa administration secretary.<\/p>\n
The police earlier named two other suspects in the case --
\nland clearance project chief Endang Andriyanto and land
\nprocurement broker Lala Intan Gemala.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, in Naggroe Aceh Darussalam, prosecutors suspended
\non Saturday the detention of Langsa Mayor Azhari Azis, who is
\ncharged with corruption potentially involving Rp 34.8 billion,
\nhis lawyer Darwis said on Sunday.<\/p>\n
Local prosecutors could not be reached for confirmation.<\/p>\n
Azhari had been held at Keudah penitentiary since Sept. 29 as
\na suspect in the misappropriation of funds from his
\nadministration.<\/p>\n
However, the Aceh Prosecutor's Office said it had so far only
\nfound evidence that Rp 16.5 billion of the money had been
\nmisused.<\/p>\n
Darwis said the mayor had been temporarily released while
\nprosecutors completed his case file on Saturday afternoon, which
\nthey will then submit to the court.<\/p>\n
"If Pak Azhari is summoned again, he will comply with the
\nsummon," the lawyer said.<\/p>\n
He said that after leaving the prison, the mayor returned to
\nhis home and observed the Ramadhan fasting month with his family.<\/p>\n
Besides Azhari, prosecutors also named Langsa administration
\ntreasurer Kelana Putra as a suspect in the case. However, he has
\nbeen missing since April.<\/p>\n
Prosecutors said they had questioned 18 witnesses from the
\nLangsa administration and several banks over the case.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ntb-governor-deputy-charged-with-corruption-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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